I Want and Need You, But Are You Worth The Risk
by Lovergyul
Summary: Jacob's inner wolf wants Leah; the imprint wants Renesmee. Does he follow his instinct or stick with his imprint? Little does he know Leah wants him too, but she has a secret and mating season is right around the corner.
1. Chapter 1

**First of all, I would love to give a shout out to MidnightStarr. Without her, this story would not be possible. She's the best beta anyone could ask for. Her ideas and intellect are exceptional. Thank you MidnightStarr. I dedicate this first chapter to you!**

**Disclaimer: All Twilight characters are not owned by me, but by Stephanie Meyer. **

**Things to know: '' This symbol is for the thoughts in their mind or when they're phased. **

It was another normal overcast day in La Push and everyone from both packs were gathered at the Clearwater household for breakfast. Sue was always in Forks with Charlie and it wasn't like Emily's cupboards could go on forever. Seth was sitting at the kitchen table and he groaned. "I wish Sis would hurry and wake the fuck up. I'm starved!" He said, face a mask of annoyance.

"Yeah, where the hell is she?" Quil complained from sitting on the living room floor.

"Yeah she needs to hurry the hell up. Did she forget she's got us downstairs? It's not like we don't do this every damn day." Embry added in frustration.

A few minutes later, soft, familiar footsteps made their way down the stairs. Leah had cute bedhead hair with her long, wavy locks and her hand running through it stubbornly as she came into the kitchen. She was wearing a white tank top with no bra and a pair of pajama shorts.

"You people complain too damn much. Anyone else ever tell you that?" She says.

Jacob had his eyes on her the whole time since she came walking down the stairs. He answered her with a smile. "Good morning to you too. What took you so long?"

"Good morning LeeLee." Sam said to her seriously as he always was.

Leah turned to Jake and answered in a typical Leah fashion. "I was fucking sleeping. It's friggen 10:00 a.m." She then looked at Sam. "Don't call me that."

Sam looked down sheepishly. "Sorry."

Leah looked at them all, annoyed. "Why am I even making anything for you guys anyway? You guys need to learn how to cook."

From the living room floor, Embry sucked his teeth and rolled his eyes. "Then why don't you teach us?"

"Because the last time I attempted to do that, some douchebag nearly burnt down my house!" Leah answered, throwing the dishtowel she had slung over her shoulder at Paul. He caught it and scoffed.

"Fuck you."

Jacob laughed and added, "Oh yeah. I remember that. Good going Paul! What an idiot."

"Well I didn't know you don't need butter in a pan with bacon! So sue me! Damn!" Paul reminded them with a snort.

Sam looked at Paul. "Stop it. You're only going to provoke her and then you'll fight. Do not start. It's too early in the day." He looked at Leah carefully. "Do you need help with anything?"

Seth jumped off his place on the couch. "Hey that's my job."

Leah began to crack three dozen eggs and put some bacon on the stove. The stomachs of shape-shifters were never-ending. Bottomless pits is more like what they have.

"No, I don't need any help."

Jacob kept his eyes on her as he snickered. "What was that Lee? You mumbling over there?" He walked over to her and stood completely behind her, trapping her between his arms. He'd always admired her. He'd always thought she was attractive. Something in him just told him, goaded him on in his actions. He leant down and whispered in her left ear. "Don't worry Lee. The quicker you finish breakfast, the quicker we can get out of here."

Sam went rigidly straight and stared openly at them with an incredulous look on his face. "What are you doing?" Leah had gone pretty still inside Jake's arms too. This was... Unusual to say the least. She flicked her eyes over to Sam.

Jacob, however, ignored Sam and continued whispering in Leah's ear. " You look sexy cooking over the stove Lee. Wearing your apron and lookin' all motherly. Hurry up so I can take you away from here; right now."

Seth looked at them with eyes full of pure horror. "Ew... What the hell?" He threw out. His face turned quickly however into a mask of stone. "Jacob get the fuck away from my sister right now..." Quil and Embry looked on with surprised looks on their faces and just stayed silent.

"Did you just call Leah sexy?" Jared asked, stunned.

Leah turned in Jake's arms so they were nearly chest to chest. "Did you smoke a gram of weed this morning and forget to tell me?"

Jake looked at her straight in the eye, unblinking and he ignored Jared. "Not at all. I was just paying you a compliment. What? Just be grateful I'm voicing what everyone here knows out loud. Do you have a problem with that?"

Seth continued looking at them. "Jacob back off will you? At least give her some space..."

"Who are you and what have you done with Jacob Black? Who, has a certain little half-breed imprint by the way." Leah just had to remind him of that. Not that she didn't like being in his arms, but she had to remind him and herself of the realism of the situation.

Jake looked down at her and scoffed.

"Well Leah I'm just stating a fact. Jacob Black is all here. I can give you a compliment. Nothing's wrong with that." He backed away from her and went to the other side of the room. As if Jake was suddenly back inside his own mind, he couldn't believe that he almost groped Leah Clearwater in her home and in front of the pack; no doubt. He had an imprint so he should _not _be feeling that type of urge with Leah. He looked up and caught everyone in the room staring at him. He shrugged his shoulders. "What?"

Seth looked at him irritated.

"What? What do you mean 'what'? You just groped my sister in front of us. I didn't want to see that." His face turned serious and Seth calmly walked up to him. "Don't you ever do that again. I mean it Jake. You may be my best friend, but she's my sister; Watch it!"

Jake just nodded at him as his response. He was still too stunned at what he'd done. It was almost like it was natural to do it.

Leah just rolled her eyes at them. Boys; they just fucked her day up. What more were they remotely useful for?

Embry shrugged his shoulders and turned to Leah. "So eggs and what for breakfast? On a serious note, _do_ you need any help?"

"Nope. Eggs, bacon and sausages with hash browns." Leah answered him calmly. Quil beamed happily. Those were his favorites to have for breakfast.

"Damn right. I just want food." Jared said. Sam was still stunned at what Jacob did to Leah in the kitchen; in front of him. He wanted to say something but couldn't. 'Think of Emily...', he told himself and he looked back over at Leah. "Sounds good Leah. I know it'll taste good too."

Seth walked back over to the couch. "Sounds delicious Sis. I can't wait. I'm so hungry. Try to hurry it up will yah?"

Paul just had to put his two cents in; as always.

"He's right dude. Hurry the hell up and feed us." Leah answered him right away though.

"Complain one more time about the speed at which I cook and I will take this fucking spatula and shove it down your damn throat."

"Wow, someone's extra bitchy this morning. I did not order that with my food just in case you didn't know." Paul said right back, sly smirk on his face.

Leah lifted the spatula and shook it at him. "Do not tempt me."

Seth was tired of the banter. Tired of Paul period. He always had some dumbass shit to say.

"Paul, you're the one who's acting like a bitch. Shut the hell up and let her cook. She shouldn't give you anything anyway."

Jared looked at him in awe. "Geeze Seth! Are you inheriting your sister's attitude or something?"

Seth looked at all of them seriously. He may be the youngest and happiest of the pack, but when it came to his sister and himself he could and would get rowdy.

"First and foremost, she's my sister and I'm tired of you guys disrespecting her in front of me. That shit isn't going to happen anymore. I'm not gonna stand for that. You guys wouldn't like me disrespecting _your_ mother, sister, cousin, friend or _imprints_." He looked at Sam as he said the last word.

"Definitely got his sister's attitude." Jared confirmed.

"Let this be the last day of that happening. I mean it."

Jacob sighed and answered in return. "Alright Seth. We get it okay? Man!"

Sam was still in a daze about the closeness of Jake and Leah in his head. For some reason, he couldn't get it out. He was annoyed and he needed to leave, so he made up an excuse.

"You know what? I got to go... I'm goin' home. I just remembered that I needed to fix a broken pipe under my sink."

Leah scoffed.

"Of course you do. Are all of you guys on your periods today or something?" She asked, taking up their plates and handing them around.

Paul smirked.

"Yeah... Maybe. Except for you though." Leah rolled her eyes and sighed deeply.

"I don't know what to say to you anymore Paul." With that, stove off and breakfast served, she grabbed her jacket from the coatrack and left.

Sam, having heard what Paul said stiffened and stood still as Leah departed the house ahead of him. He turned around and looked at Paul incredulously. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Didn't I tell you to stop it? You don't fucking listen." Sam wanted to phase right there, alarmingly, but thought better of it. "You have the evening patrols from 6 PM to 6 AM for the next two weeks."

Jacob was practically holding Seth back while looking at Paul.

"What hell man? Seth calm down."

"What! Sam dude that's fuckin' stupid. Seth it's just the way me and Leah rag on each other!", Paul tried to reason.

"That is not the point. You know that kind of thing is really sensitive to her... That's low even for you." Seth replied angrily.

"Paul I told you to shut it and you didn't listen. Evening patrols for two weeks. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Now shut the fuck up and eat your breakfast. I'm out of here." He walked out the door.

Paul rolled his eyes, grumbling as he stabbed into an egg and shoved it into his mouth.

Jacob turns to Seth.

"Seth where do you think she went?" Seth looked at him curiously.

"Why?" It was Jake's turn to look curious. "What do you mean, 'why'? I just wanna check on her. She didn't leave here in a good state."

"Leah never leaves a place with all of us in a good state." Paul couldn't help but interject.

Ignoring him, Jacob asked "Do you have any idea Seth? Maybe she went to the cliffs. She loves to go there. She likes the view of the ocean. Maybe she went there to clear her head."

"She's probably swimming." Jared added.

"Nah. Not swimming. Jake you could check by the cliffs. She likes to go there to think. What Paul said hit a nerve. She probably went there to calm down and blow off some steam." Seth informed.

"Well I'm goin' after her. Later guys!" Jacob immediately stood up from his spot at the table and quickly went through the door.

Quil and Embry could only look at Jake's back in astonishment.


	2. Chapter 2

Jacob found Leah at the beach. She was sitting on one of the large cliff-like rocks that sticks out over the water with her legs crossed. Her blue eyes were focused on the sparkling waves. Jacob watched her silently for a moment. He admired her beauty and he knew she knew he was there, but he waited to approach her and he did. "Leah are you okay?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I saw the way you stomped off earlier. I know what Paul said got to you." Jake answered.

Leah scoffed; a small smile adorned her lips as she kept eye contact with the sea. "Paul is just Paul. There's no way around that."

Jake also scoffed and shrugged his shoulders. "Yes he is. He's a dick. Anyway...I just thought I should check on you. I know how sensitive that subject is to you."

Leah sighed. "Yeah well...I guess I've got to get over it sometime."

Jake sighed too. "Leah...Why do you have to act so tough all the time? It's me you're speaking to. There's no one else around. You know you can talk to me right?"

"Why do you have to act so friendly all the time?" She raised an eyebrow and continued. "The universe is filled with endless and stupid questions Jake."

Jake scoffed and then he went and sat next to her. "Well...The universe is filled with endless and stupid people too. I know we have not been close in a long time, but sometimes I find myself reminiscing about our childhood and how close we used to be. I remember what you and I were to each other. However, I realized that we grew up and changed. You were into Sam and I was into Bella. I just hoped that we did not change too much. Do you know what I mean?"

"Change is a natural part of life. Sometimes things change for the better and sometimes for the worse." She looked at him then. "Alot has changed since we were kids."

Jacob looked back at her. "Yes...I agree with you. Alot has changed since we were kids. However, it is up to us to not let it get too far. Leah...We have been through too much to just act like we're strangers to each other now. It makes no sense."

"It doesn't matter." Leah sighed.

Jake looked at her intently as he replied. "Yes it does. You know why? Because at the end of the day when all is said and done, we're all we have left. It's us that matters and no one else. We're a pack...A family. We look out for each other no matter what. Yes we may fight alot and say mean things, but when things get rough and we need each other, we're the first ones there. You've got to give us a chance to try to be there."

"I can't look at the pack as family. I don't know if I ever will."

"Why not?" Jake asked.

Leah focused her gaze on the water as she spoke. Her voice was so soft and full of pain. "I'm past the point of too much change. I passed it on that night when I lost everything. Too many things were said and too many things were done that just won't ever go away. It won't go away from me and you guys both."

Jake looked at her. He looked at her like he was seeing her for the first time and realized that this is not the Leah he once knew. This is a totally different person now. "Leah...It is true. Too many things have happened that we can't take back, but that's in the past. It should not matter. What matters now is the present and looking forward to the future. What's done is done. We can't change it. It already happened and the best thing to do right now is to try and get past it; make something better of it. You live, you learn, and you move on."

Leah sighed to herself and wrapped her sweater tighter around her arms as the cool sea air gave her a chill. "Like I said...It won't matter." She stood up.

Jake noticed the sweater wrapped around her. He stood up too and blocked her. He was so close. He was so close he could smell her hair, her scent. She smelled of the sea breeze with a mixture of strawberries and pineapples. "Where are you going?"

Leah looked up at him and stepped back. He was too close. She felt the heat of his chest radiating, his frame is massive compared her's. "Same place I always go...Away."

Jake noticed her step back so he took a step forward and he was close again. He took a long breath and inhaled. As he was doing this, he felt a dull ache in his chest. He knew it was the pull of the imprint, but he ignored it. "Away? Where? You can't go away Leah. Please don't."

Leah placed a tender hand on his chest. "I can tell by the look on your face that you need to go see her."

Her hand on his chest made Jake shiver involuntarily. It was like an electric spark that rushed through his body. He placed his hand on top of hers. "I'm fine. You are the one that matters right now, so please do not try to change the subject. I'm going to ask you again...Where are you going? What do you mean by "not far, but far enough"?" He knew he sounded kind of rough but for some reason the alpha wolf in him started to act up. He was shocked at the feeling of his inner wolf. The inner wolf protested the idea of his beta leaving. "Please Leah...Don't go."

"I'll be home for supper Jake. I'm not going far."

The alpha in Jake told him to hold her and never let go, but as the thought ran through his mind, the pain started to get a little stronger, but he ignored it. He took her hand from his chest and placed it on his cheek. "Leah...Please give me your word that you'll be home for supper tonight. Please don't make me come out there to look for you."

With the news she recently received, she cannot risk getting too close to Jake. She took her hand away from his cheek. "I will be." She stepped back and then walked out around him, while she pulled her sweater tighter around herself. "I'll see you later."

Jake watched her walk away. The alpha in him screamed at him not to let her go, to hold her close to his chest and comfort her, kiss her, and cherish her body like a queen, but he did not. The dull ache throbbed at that moment, but he still ignored it. He ignored it until Leah was out of his sight. "Ok Leah...I will hold you to that. Bye Lee." He whispered his last sentence and it carried into the breeze. He began to walk in the other direction towards his imprint. The ache turned into a huge pain.

Jake arrived at the Cullens' estate within five minutes. The sickly sweet smell of vampire hit his nose and it burned from the scent. As he came closer to the front door, Bella came out to greet him. "Hey Bells...How are you? Where's Nessie?"

"Hey Jake...I am fine. Nessie is inside with Rosalie. You can go to her if you would like to." Bella answered.

"Ok...thanks." He walked past her without a second glance and into the house.

Bella watched Jake closely as he walked off and she realized that something is off about him. He did not give her a second glance and she did not know how to feel about it. He has been acting different lately and it bothered her immensely. She did not know why, but it did. She took a deep unnecessary breath and exhaled loudly.

Edward raised an eyebrow at her and sighed. "Another moment where I wish I could read your mind. What's wrong love?"

Jake caught Nessie's scent as soon as he was inside and he went to find her. When he did, she was with Rosalie just as Bella said. The two of them were laughing about something silly. "Nessie...Hi! What's so funny?"

Nessie's head perked up at his voice and she looked at him; her perfect face lit up with a grin. "Jacob!" She dashed off the couch and wrapped her tiny arms around his strong waist. "Hi! Nothing...Rosalie and I were just talking about your pack."

Jake hugged her back, but looked at Rosalie over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow. She looked right back at him and scoffed. "What about my pack? It has to be something good for you to be laughing so much."

"Rosalie thinks you guys shouldn't swim so much. She said you smell like "Lassie on a bender" or something of the sort."

"She said that huh?" He looked at Rosalie and stuck out his tongue at her and then ignored her and pulled back from Nessie. "Rosalie needs to get a life. Opps...I forgot. She does not have one." Jake and Nessie laughed at his joke and Rosalie growled.

"Watch it dog."

Jake continued to ignore her further and held Nessie's hand. "Let's leave Rosalie alone and go for a walk around the house. Would you like that?"

Nessie grinned and nodded. She was so happy to see him.

Jake held her hand and pulled her along with him. He felt the imprint bond start to calm and it thrived at the nearness of Nessie. He was happy and content, but in the back of his mind, a certain she-wolf was there lurking around. "Let's go sweetie."

Nessie's cool hand gave his a gentle suqeeze. Jacob is her world; just like she is to him.

Jake squeezed her hand in return and gave her one of his handsome smiles. She's his little star that sparkles in the night. He is instantly happy at the sight of her. " So...How are you my little star? What have you been up to?" He asked.

Nessie giggles; her own little tinkly laugh the only sound around them as they continued on their walk. "Missing you of course."

Jake laughed wholeheartedly. "I missed you too." The imprint bond started to beat and sigh with happiness at the sound of Nessie's laughter. Her voice alone had an effect on the bond. However, the alpha wolf in Jake is displeased, but he pushed it to the back of his mind. "I can't stay too long; I have some things I need to take care of for my dad. You know it's always a joy to be around you."

"You talk like a true gentleman Jacob." She giggled again and kissed his cheek. "You'll be back soon right? I would love to come to La Push for a visit soon too."

Jake cringed internally at her last statement. Her being in La Push would be a big problem. Nevertheless, he turned to her and smiled widely. He stroked her cheek lovingly and replied. "Of course I'll be back soon. I can't stay away from you for too long." He paused. "I have to get back to you about the visit to La Push though. That is something we will have to plan carefully. Okay?" They made it back to the front of the house for the second time and they stopped at the steps that lead to the front door. Bella and Edward are outside on the porch.

Nessie smiled up at him slyly. "Remember when we had that talk about taking things slowly?"

He raised an eyebrow. "We spoke about taking many things slowly. Which one are you talking about?"

Nessie just smiled and then she got up on the tip of her toes and in the next moment, her lips were on his.

Jake was surprised and startled by the kiss. He slowly started to respond, but then he remembered that they were at the front of the house and Bella and Edward were on the porch. He stopped and gently pushed her away at arms length. "Nessie...Your parents are right outside and could clearly see us. When we're alone, then we can kiss ok sweetie?" The alpha wolf in him started to protest aggressively and he took a step back away from her. "I'll see you soon."

Nessis's pretty little face dropped slightly. "Well...Okay."

Jake cupped her cheeks and pecked her lightly on her lips and he walked away. He waved at Bella and Edward as he continued walking into the forest.

Edward glared back at him. He _can_ read Jacob's thoughts.

Bella waved back at Jake and turned to Edward and frowned at the look upon his face. "What's wrong honey?"

"He just kissed your daughter." Edward answered in annoyance.

"Actually, Nessie initiated the first kiss honey. Jake pulled away because he knew we were right in front of them. Jake is respectful and will not do anything to disrespect us. It's alright. If it's anybody who knows Jacob, it's me." Bella kissed Edward on the cheek and then beckoned Nessie to come inside with her.

Edward shook his head as he walked inside after them. He's never going to get used to this.


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: ' ' This symbol is for the characters' thoughts. **

**Happy Reading!**

Nightfall came and Leah arrived home later than expected; actually close to midnight. Seth was on the couch watching TV when Leah walked through the door. He jumped up and rushed over in her direction and hugged her. "Where have you been? I was worried. Are you alright?" Seth asked her eagerly.

Leah raised an eyebrow and responded calmly, "I'm fine; I was at work. It's late and you have patrol in the morning so you should be in bed."

Seth released her and stepped back a step. He looked down sheepishly. "I'm sorry Lee. I was worried and just wanted to wait until you came home to go to bed. I wanted to make sure you were home safe that's all. I'm also sorry about this morning. Paul's a prick." He looked at her and smiled weakly. "Anyway...Since you're home safe and sound, I'm going to bed."

Leah smiled weakely and kissed the top of his head. "Get to bed squirt...Now."

Seth walked off but he paused and turned around to look back at her. He shocked her when he said, "I love you Sis."

Leah forced a smile. Hearing him say that made her want to cry. "I love you too."

Meanwhile Jake was headed home, but he suddenly remembered a certain she-wolf and took a detour towards the Clearwater residence. He reached the front door and stopped. He inhaled deeply and caught her scent. The wolf in him started to thrash slightly and howled softly at the scent and Jake wondered, 'What the hell? Why is my inner wolf reacting like that?' He brushed it off. He sensed her nearby and softly knocked on the door. He stood outside and was a little bit anxious. He did not know why, but it was an unexplained feeling. He'll find out sooner or later.

Leah raised an eyebrow at the sound. Seth just went to bed so she wondered who could it be at the door. She walked over to it and opened. At the sight of Jake, she crossed her arms over her chest and asked seriously, "Why are you here so late?"

Jake raised his eyebrow in response and shrugged his shoulders. "I wanted to make sure you kept your word and you did. You're home safe and sound." He stepped inside and was five feet in front of her. His wolf was urging him to move closer, but he ignored it. Well at least he tried to.

"Where else would I go Jake?"

"I don't know...You tell me." He took another step closer. Her scent was drawing him to her and he didn't why, but he liked it.

Pretty, bright, blue eyes looked up at him. She's beautiful...More natural than Renesmee. "Why"? She asked.

Jake took another step closer to her. "Because I'm curious. I'm curious about you Leah. I want to know what's going on in that pretty little head of yours. 'I just realized I called her pretty.' The alpha wolf was purring like a cat and was loving the closeness. He took another step closer until there were only two feet between them and he looked down at her.

"There's nothing to be curious about." She spoke with a soft voice. It was strange; she did it alot lately. It fit her, not being so brash and blunt.

"Yes...There is. There has to be something in order for you to just run off." He took another step closer. He knew he was probably crossing his boundaries, but the softness of her voice called out to him, to his wolf and his wolf replied and wanted to get closer. "Come on Lee...Where did you go? Is it somewhere top secret?"

"I went to work. It's not as secretive as you think." As time passed by, she began to feel intimidated by his closeness. It was the type of closeness that signaled something much more than friendship. The type of closeness she once had with Sam.

Jake looked at her stunned. "You have a job? You work? Since when? I did not know that. That is good Lee. What is it?" He was still standing close to her. He knew he should step back but for some reason, he couldn't. His inner wolf would not let him.

"Its a job...I get money. It's not like Sue spends enough time off Charlie's dick to bring in money for her kids anymore and someone needs to put food on the table." Her voice turned a little bitter when she spoke about her mom. Her mom betrayed her and never loved her. She only cared about herself, Emily, and Charlie. It felt natural to talk about her mother with a bitter edge to her voice.

Jake continued to look at her stunned. This time he really looked at her. From the blue of her eyes to the flush in her cheeks to where her hairline began to the shape of her nose and lastly to her rosy, pink, kissable lips. "Come on Lee...Don't be like that. Sue is just lonely. You know she loves both you and Seth very much. She just needs to be around someone her own age right now. Not to mention she just needs to get some. If you know what I mean." He winked.

Leah cracked a smirk then answered. "Oh I do. Now, don't you have somewhere to be?"

Jake tilted his head to the side and scoffed. "Yes...But I'm in no rush." He took one last step closer and he was finally chest to chest with her. The wolf was howling loudly inside with happiness. "Why? Do you want me to stay?"

"No, I'm tired. I want to go to bed. If you want to stay, the couch is your's." She tried desperately to ignore the closeness. She tried to ignore how right it felt.

The wolf was purring intensely in his head. The closeness of their bodies were driving him crazy and he wanted more contact. He took his right hand and gently cupped her cheek. "You are so beautiful. Do you know that? Your eyes are such a pretty blue. They remind me of the sky. Yours eyes are bright too. They light up the whole room.

Leah arched a perfect eyebrow. "Your chest is beautiful too, but I don't maul you." She took a step back out of his touch. This was getting too close for comfort. Her head and heart were screaming and warning her to runaway.

Jake saw Leah take a step back and he took one of his own, only he took it forward. They did this repeatedly until her back was pressed up against the wall. Jake enjoyed the closeness and could not help it. The wolf was snarling now. The sound was getting louder and he figured out that his wolf was trying to tell him something. Acting on instinct, he placed both hands, one on each side of her head on the wall behind her, trapping her. "Leah." He said her name softly.

Leah gulped. "Jake...What are you...?" She was too awestruck to finish her sentence. His chest against her's was hot and it calmed the permanent chill she seemed to feel these days and she wanted more. But she knew she couldn't.

Jake did not hear her. He was too focused on her beauty. Her scent called to him, to his wolf. Her scent was suddenly alluring and breathtaking. The wolf in him was telling him to claim her. He leaned forward and placed his head between her head and shoulder and breathed deeply. "You smell so good Lee." He whispered against her neck.

"I'll ask again. Are you high?" Her voice was soft, yet breathless.

Jake answered her right away. "I'm high off of your smell." His voice was deep and husky. It sent a tremor throughout her body. He could hear her blood trickling slowly through her veins; the slow beat of her heart that was almost inaudible. The wolf is now snarling very lowly. It wanted her. Jake started to nip at her neck gently. He kissed and sucked on it lightly. He started to nibble on her from her shoulder to her neck, her, jaw, and then he finally stopped at her lips. He did not touch them as of yet. Being that close made his wolf growl loudly and it started to snap at him, telling him to kiss, mark, and claim her. "Leah..." He whispered her name just before he crashed his lips to her's.

Leah was shaking and shivering. She wanted this for as long as she could remember but reality hit her. 'This should not be happening. Not at all. Jake has an imprint; he has Renesmee and he doesn't need her. It's too late now anyway.' She bit down on his lip and pushed him away from her. "Get off me."

The bond of the imprint started to hurt mildly. He blinked and looked at her. "I'm sorry Lee. I don't know what came over me. I..." He trailed off. 'What have I done?' He looked at her. She was so beautiful and luscious, even when she's angry. The pull of the imprint started to throb painfully now. He grasped his chest and doubled over in pain. "Leah..." He choked out. He could not breathe properly. "Lee...I..." He struggled to breathe.

Leah gritted her teeth. "You fucking idiot." She bent down and wrapped an arm around his chest and tugged him outside. Then let him go and backed away at approximately fifty feet from him. "Go to her." Jake never knew how much those words hurt her to say.

Jake looked at her and saw the pained look on her face. "NO...Not yet...I..." He trailed off. The pain slowly subsided and there was a huge distance between them. He stood up fully. The ache was still there but it was light. He looked at her and stared. "What's happening? I feel so..." He paused, searching for the right words. "I feel this...How do I put this...String between us. I don't know how else to explain it."

"Then don't."

"I will...When I figure this out. It's like I'm..." He trailed off and without another word to her, he looked at her one last time and then turned to the forest. He ran off, phased and headed into the woods.

Leah shook her head. Her eyes dropped to the ground before she walked back inside and up the stairs to bed, her cough being muffled by her hand. She went to sleep knowing she needed it because she has not been getting a lot of sleep these days.

Jake ran through the thick tress and contemplated to himself over and over. 'Thank God no one else is phased at the moment. What is wrong with me? I kissed Leah. My wolf was pushing me to do it. Despite the imprint, my wolf wanted her. I kissed her. I cornered her and kissed her. I wanted to claim her. Is this normal? What's happening to me?' The imprint bond was throbbing, but the alpha wolf was snarling at the same time. Jake slowed down to a halt and sat under a nearby tree. He was mentally exhausted. It's like his wolf was fighting with itself. He could feel the imprint bond, however there was this pull he was feeling toward Leah. 'What is it? How and why is this happening? Ok...Calm down Jacob. Take a deep breath and exhale slowly.' The pain of the imprint bond slowly started to fade. The wolf also quieting down. He sat there for several more minutes. Twenty minutes later, he stood up and started to head home.

**Author's note:** I'm sorry for the delay folks. The U.S. Virgin Islands are prone to hurricanes passing through. We just had one on Monday. No worries...We got the bottom part of it. Everything is back to normal. Hopefully, I'll be back to updating regularly.


	4. Chapter 4

Note: '' This symbol is for their thoughts while human and also while they're phased.

The next day the pack was phased and patrolled the meadow. Everyone's mind was open, Leah's own however, was blocked. Seth was completely quiet. Jake's mind was blocked too, but not completely like Leah's own was. The whole pack noticed though and wondered what was going on. Sam was the one who spoke up.

'What's going on?'

Everyone stopped walking and turned to look at him.

'What do you mean?' Jared asked.

'Something is off.' Sam answered. He looked at Leah and then at Jake. 'You're quiet today. That's unusual. Are you guys alright?'

Leah scoffed in her head; her white tail flickered irritably. She continued walking down the trail; her mind was clear of any and all thought.

Sam looked at Leah's retreating form. 'Leah...Leah...LEAH!'

'Everything is fine Sam.' Jacob said to him, but he did not hear him.

Leah turned her head and growled. She was annoyed. 'WHAT?'

'I was speaking to you. I asked you a question.' He softly asked her again. 'Are you alright?'

Everyone stood and waited for her answer. Jacob, in particular looked at her intensely.

'I'm fine. I wish you'd stop asking.' She lowered her nose to the ground to smell and continued walking down her trail.

'I would not have asked if you weren't acting so strange. Will you at least wait up for the others?'

'Sam...She said she is fine.' Jacob told him.

Sam looked at Jacob with a hard face. 'Ok...Fine. Let's go then.'

Jacob moved up ahead and caught up to Leah. Always happy and have a positive attitude, Seth started to run at them, snipped at their noses, and licked their faces. 'Come on guys...Lighten up.'

Leah moved her face away from his, but did not protest or tell him to stop. Seth is her brother and besides, he would not listen anyway.

'How far are we going Sam?' Jacob asked.

'Just until we reach the border and then we'll call it a day and depart home.'

Seth continued running around and playing with the guys. He bumped into Embry and gently snipped his snout. 'Catch me if you can loser.'

'Seth...I'll get you. Come back right now.'

Quil was itching to get away from the tension and he soon joined them. 'Hey guys...Wait for me' and he trotted up ahead. All of them ran past Jake and Leah. Leah almost flashed a small smile in her mind at the guys' antics.

'Don't stray too far ahead.' Sam reminded them.

'They will be fine.' Jake replied. He chuckled to himself. 'They act like real children sometimes.'

They continued to move forward and they were almost to the border. Jake wanted to speak to Leah badly but he knew he couldn't. Not right now, not when they had an audience.

Meanwhile Sam couldn't help but flash a picture of Emily in his mind. However, Leah did not even flinch. As a matter of fact, she hardly ever did anymore. She continued to keep that same, depressing blank mind.

Jake looked at her and thought of doing something to distract her. He started to nudge her on her left side.

Leah looked at him. 'What are you doing?'

Jake ignored her, but continued nudging against her. He knew she might blow up at him, but continued anyway. He would do anything to get rid of that depressive, blank face. The guys were silently watching but he did not care. He suddenly nudged her one last time and gently, but still kind of roughly bit her snout. 'Loser...Try to catch me.' It was a ploy for her to follow him and he hoped it worked. He wanted to get her alone.

Leah growled lowly and stepped back away from him. 'What the hell is wrong with you today? I'm not in the mood to run.'

'You will after I do this.' He took his left paw and chucked her. She almost lost her balance. Once she realized what he did, she growled. Jake took off and she followed him with revenge on her mind.

Sam was watching the whole thing silently. He was thinking, contemplating, and wondering. 'Just what in the hell is going on?' He started to get irritated, but he shrugged it off. A few more steps and they reached the border. Seth, Quil, and Embry were already there. 'Alright guys...Everything is ok. Let's head home.'

Seth, Quil, and Embry continued their playful banter on the way home. Paul and Jared also decided to head on home. Sam, however, lingered and looked in the direction Jake and Leah went. Jared and Paul looked back silently at him and watched. They then decided to wait for him. 'Hey Sam...Are you coming? Emily, Kim, and Rachel are going to have food on the table.' Jared informed him.

'Yeah...Stop looking at the skank's ass and let's go.' Paul added.

Sam ignored them and continued concentrating on the direction that Jake and Leah went in. After what felt like an eternity, he turned to them. 'Huh? What did you say?'

'We said...What the hell are you waiting for?'

Sam looked at Paul and scoffed wolfishly. 'Why are you always acting like an ass?'

'Why are you staring at your ex's ass like you give a damn?'

When it finally registered what Paul said, Sam blinked and started to snarl. He started to walk up closer to Paul. 'Of course I give a damn. Why wouldn't I? Who says I shouldn't?'

Paul's rolled his eyes as he growled lowly. 'Calm your shit; I just don't think she's worth stressing out over, especially when you've got Emily at home waiting for you.'

Sam growled back at him. 'I know I have Emily at home. Stop fucking reminding me. I know what I've got, but that does not mean I should stop caring about Leah. She is so damn worth it. I may not love her like before, but I do care about her and her well-being. The world is not going to fucking end because I care.' Sam knew to himself that he still loved Leah. She was his first love; his first everything. One will never forget his or her first love, He still loves her and if it wasn't for the imprint, he would still be with her. It would be _their_ house he was going back to after patrol. They would have been married by now. The truth of the matter was, he imprinted and he did not have a choice but to leave her. However, that did not mean he stopped loving her. The pack would never know that. None of them could, especially Leah.

Paul rolled his eyes. 'Ok...Fine...Whatever. Let's just go; you know the girls don't like us being late for dinner.'

Sam ignored him and walked ahead. Jared is silent as he watched from the sidelines. He is thinking to himself too. 'What if?' But he shrugged it off and walked behind them.

Meanwhile Jake ran up ahead with Leah right behind him. They came upon the cliff and Jake was the first one to phase out and Leah followed.

"Something on your mind?" Leah could not help but asked.

"I just wanted to get you alone and it worked."

"You know...That sounds like something a rapist would say."

Jake looked at her and chuckled. "Well I could never do that. If I wanted to, I would've done so a long time ago. But I'm no rapist. Plus...Seth would chop my balls off and then shove them down my throat."

Leah nodded her response and sat down on the cliff's edge, coughing a little.

Jake sat down next to her on her right. "You okay?" The wolf is again purring at her nearness. He shrugged it off and noticed her coughing. Oddly enough, shape-shifters weren't supposed to get sick. Since phasing, he has never heard one of his brothers cough...ever. Leah coughed again. "Leah...Are you okay?" He put a hand on her arm.

"Yeah...I'm just tired." Leah replied.

"Tired?" He turned his body fully to her. "What's wrong? Why are you tired?" He paused in thought. "Come to think of it, you were cold yesterday. We don't get cold. What's going on with you?"

"Nothing Jake. Forget it." Her voice was once again very soft. It was so unlike her. When Jake really thought about it, she has spoken that way for quite some time now. For the last year or so, she sounded like that. It was almost like an improvement. He looked at her with a stern face. His voice was firm; his jaw rigid. "It can't, not be nothing. You were cold yesterday. I noticed. You couldn't pull the jacket around you tight enough. Now you're coughing. I'm going to ask you again and don't lie to me." In a soft voice even for him, he asked. "What is wrong?"

Leah rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter...It's just a cold. I'm fine." She was so damn deflective.

The wolf in Jake started to purr, but after hearing her cough again, it began to snarl in a panicked way. It could sense that something was wrong and it wanted to know. Their kind doesn't get sick...not with a cold. "Leah...We're shape-shifters...We don't get the cold. Our temperature is hot enough to warm water. What is going on with you? Why won't you tell me? I would like to know. It's me you are talking to...Jake." He looked at her tenderly and wanted to touch her, but he kept his hands to himself. He did not want to scare her off.

"It's not your burden to bear. It won't be anyone's for much longer." She stood up. Dammit! Why did she always want to leave?

She was being so fucking difficult. The wolf started to growl aggressively. Jake stood up with her and grabbed her arm. "Stop being so damn difficult. What do you mean much longer? What are you saying?" The wolf was so aggressive...It was ready to pounce. Leah was his mate. 'What? Where did that thought come from?' He shook it off and looked at her intensely. "What are you saying? Tell me now Leah." He started to growl and his grip tightened, but not enough to bruise or hurt her.

"I don't have to tell you anything. Jake...Let go. It's for your own damn good." She ripped her arm out of his. Her voice was still low and it dripped with equal intensity.

The wolf growled and started to swipe in his head. It started to thrash around lightly but began to get a little rough. He grabbed her, but held her hand instead and started to tenderly rub the back of it up and down. His voice lowered and he spoke softly and called her by her nickname. "Lee...Please...You're starting to scare me. Please tell me what's going on."

Leah's eyes suddenly soften and her hand reached out and it brushed his cheek. "There's nothing to be scared of. It's going to be okay."

Jake held her hand to his cheek and continued to look at her tenderly. "Yes...There is because you won't talk to me. I am going to be worried." The wolf suddenly barked and snarled viciously. It wanted to know what was wrong. 'I feel so drawn to her. What is this connection I feel? Why though?' The imprint bond started to throb very lightly, but he brushed it off. 'Leah is what matters right now.' "Leah...Sweetie...please talk to me. I'll stalk you until you do. I'll be with you wherever you go: home, in your bed, at work, in the kitchen, and even in the bathroom."

She took her hand off his cheek. "Well done...You've just trespassed into creepy."

He grabbed her hand again and continued to rub it. Her eyes started to flutter. They opened and closed repeatedly. "You know what I mean. I am just concerned. I care about you and I want to know what's wrong. Please don't think you're alone. I'm here."

"No one can know...Not even you Jake. Now go see Renesmee." Leah said.

"I don't need to. Stop pushing me away. The fact that you said no one can know means there's something wrong. Right now...All that matters is you. I want you to know I care. You do know that right?" Jake asked.

Leah rolled her eyes. "Yes you need to go see her. Yes Jake...You care...to an extent. It won't last forever. Now either go home or stay here...I don't care." With that, Leah began to walk home.

'No...I will not let her walk away like this.' His wolf told him to stop her so before she got too far, he did. "Before you got your attitude about me being concerned for you, I actually wanted to tell you something. Please don't leave yet."

Leah sighed. "Jesus Jacob...I've got to get to work in 2 hours. What do you want?" She sounded exasperated...worn out.

Jake heard the tone in her voice. He wanted to talk to her about last night...About the kiss. Judging by her attitude though, should he? 'Yes she needs to know of this pull I have towards her. I have to be honest and that's who I am.' He took a deep breath. "Leah...I would like to talk to you about last night."

"I don't." Leah scoffed.

Jake looked at her annoyed and raised his voice a little and said firmly. "Stop it with the attitude and let me talk please."

Leah growled softly in her throat. For some reason, the wolf inside Jake hated that. "Teetering awefully close to an alpha command there Jake. Don't want to get you and Sam in shit now do you?"

He continued looking at her, but his face changed to a firm and stern face and he said lowly, but firmly with a slight growl. "Please don't ever compare me to Sam again. I am _nothing_ like him...never was, is not, and never _will be_. NEVER!" His face changed back normal. "Now will you just listen?"

Leah rolled her eyes; her left foot was tapping impatiently on the ground and her arms were crossed. "Just talk."

Jake suddenly got nervous and gulped. 'Come on Jake. Just be honest. Honesty is the best policy. That's what they say right? Just tell her what's going on.' "Leah...About last night...I apologize for coming on to you like that. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really...Well you suck at not."

"I'm serious Leah. I'm sorry for the way I acted. I really am." He walked up to her and stopped when he felt her breath on his face. That's how close he was. " I'm not sorry for the kiss, bit I am sorry for how it happened." The wolf cried out in happiness of their close bodies. 'Claim her, mark her and make her yours.' The wolf said. Jake struggled to not kiss her again. He knew if he did, she would run away and never trust him again. He knew he needed to tread carefully. "I am being honest with you and I hope you will be honest with me." The imprint bond started to act up again so he took a step back. The wolf was disappointed with that.

"Jake...I don't know why you suddenly feel the need to pity me and act like you can put me through the same shit Sam did. Here's the final deal...Honesty is the last thing you or any of the pack want from me."

"Dammit Leah...I am _not_ Sam. Don't make me pay for his stupid ass mistakes. He's a prick. This is not pity; I would never pity you. I know that's not what you want so why would I? Honesty is what I want from you or else I would not have asked for it. I am the last person to pity anyone because I know _I_ don't want pity."

Leah replied. "No...You don't want this. I won't give this shit to you to deal with when you don't deserve it." She turned around. "Now I'm done talking. Do what you want Jake."

"You know what? I will. Listen to these last words and then you can leave."

Leah paused.

"Yes...I do want it. I want to find out why I feel this way. There is a reason Leah. Sam imprinted after you and him were together. I have an imprint, but at the same time, I feel a connection to you. I can't explain it, but it's there. You and I have never had a relationship before, so I have not left you. That's where Sam and I are different. There are other ways we are different too, but now is not the time to get into that. I am curious as to why I feel the way I do about you." He took a step closer to her, carefully watching her reaction. "Lee...my inner wolf is acting strangely."

Leah looked at him surprised. She was intrigued at this revalation.

"Yes...It's true. My inner wolf has started to communicate with me, not with words, but with actions. It would snarl, growl, purr, and howl. The funny thing is...It only does those things when I'm around you. Depending on how you make me feel, it reacts."

Leah shook her head in disbelief.

"It's true. If it wasn't, I would not be telling you this." He stood right in front of her face and took both of his hands and cupped her cheeks. "Right now, the wolf is purring and howling in satisfaction and contentment of our closeness. I know you feel it too. Your heart is pounding so hard."

Her heart was pounding...Just a little weirdly.

"Jake...There can be _no_ connection."

"_Can't _or you _won't _acknowledge it?"

"There _can't_." 'I won't. As much as I want you Jake, I won't put myself through another heartache. I won't do it.'

"_Why_? You feel it too or else you wouldn't be fighting me so hard on every turn." He growled frustratingly. "Is it about what's wrong with or bothering you?" The imprint bond started to throb again. 'Damn...I have not seen Nessie in three days. I can't let Leah notice my distress or else she'll run and push me away even further.' Leah looked down, but he took his hand and tilted her chin up to look at him. Her eyes have him stunned and mesmerized into silence for a moment.

"You have an imprint and I have...'No one.' Forget it Jacob." Leah said as she shook her head and walked away from him. There was a alot of pain there in her words and in her eyes. He has not seen that in over a year.

Jake ran after her and stopped her one last time. He grabbed both of her cheeks in his hands. "You have me. I may have an imprint, but my inner wolf wants _you_. I am going to prove to you that we have a connection. You know it's there, but you're scared and you're pushing me away. _I am not Sam_. I will follow my inner wolf. I _will_. You mark my words..._I'll be yours...and you'll be mine._ It's as simple as that." With that, Jake took off with Leah standing there looking at him in shock.

She was stunned by his words. As much as she wanted those words to be true, she had to do what was best for her. She wanted him too, always had, but the timing was never right. With the news she received a year ago, she can't risk putting him and her through any heartache. Plus, he had an imprint. It was Sam all over again. 'I'm doing this for you Jake. I can't hurt you or myself anymore.' Leah slowly shook her head and left. Hours pass and she did not come home. Her car however, was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** Sorry for the delay folks! I was taking care of some tasks that needed to be completed immediately. I'm back and hopefully, things will be back to normal.

**' ' **This symbol represents the characters' thoughts or their communication while they're phased.

Happy Reading!

Inside the Clearwater home, the pack was waiting for Leah.

"I take it we're not getting supper tonight?" Jared said as he looked out the window.

Sam was looking out another window and heard a voice, but did not comprehend what was said. He turned and faced Jared. "What?"

Jared rolled his eyes. "Leah's _still_ not home. Dude it's nearly 10. I haven't eaten anything. Where the hell is she?"

"Well go to your damn _imprint_ and tell her to cook you something to eat then SHIT! I am tired of your ass talking about my sister like that. If you're so fucking hungry, go to Kim! FUCK!" Seth was pissed. These assholes only care about themselves. Leah is missing and all they could think about was their stomachs.

"Jesus Seth...Calm down." Jared replied.

Paul rolled his eyes. "I'd like to know where she works."

"That's none of your damn business Paul. Worry about where Rachel works instead." Seth could not stand him.

"At the coffee shop." Paul retorted.

"Seth, do you even know where she works?" Jared asked.

"She's probably a stripper or something." Paul added.

"Paul I am warning you." Seth then looked at Jared. "I really don't know. Leah has been acting really weird lately."

Sam perked up at that revelation. "What did you say Seth?"

Paul rolled his eyes. "Your sister has always been weird."

Sick and tired of Paul's stupid remarks, Seth walked up to him. He may be young, but he was not a punk. He stopped in Paul's face and growled menacingly. "You will either _shut the fuck up and listen_ or _get the fuck out._" Seth could not stand him and wondered why they put up with him.

Paul stayed quiet and Sam pulled Seth away before he hits him. "Seth...Calm down. What about Leah?"

Seth turned to Sam. "She has been acting weird. She comes home late every night. Her appearances are always dazed. She tries to hide it, but I know my sister and something is wrong."

Sam asked. "How long has this been going on?"

"A while. At first, I just shrugged it off, but then it became more frequent." Seth answered.

"I wonder what's going on with her." Embry said.

Quil looked around the room. "Where is Jake?"

"He's with Renesmee." Seth answered once more.

Jared spoke up. "I say we just go find her or something. She's late for patrol a lot too and what the hell's up with her fur?" Jared voiced that question incredulously. Everyone wondered the same thing.

"I've been thinking about that too. Something is up. This is not like Leah...Not at all." 'What's going on with you Leelee? I will find out and bring you home and help you. I promise.' Sam thought to himself. He's worried about her and he always will. "Guys...Seriously...Something is wrong with Leah. Something does not feel right. This does not seem like her."

"What about Jake?" Seth asked.

"What about him?"

"Don't you think he knows something?"

Sam growled lowly in his throat. "Jake? Maybe. They seem to be quite chummy lately."

"And your reason for growling is...?" Jared inquired.

Sam was not aware of growling. "Huh? Well...We all know Leah is acting weird; Jake too. Something is definitely off. I can't put my finger on it, but something is amiss."

Paul raised an eyebrow and downed the rest of his coffee. "I say we call Jacob, see what we can get out of him and if it's nothing, then we check all the places around here and near Port Angeles where Leah would work."

Seth raised an eyebrow and feigned shock and said mockingly. "Oh boy now Paul wanna play the hero and go look." His face and voice turned serious. "Stop being a fake ass."

"I'm not trying to be a hero." He sneered. "I want to prove to you guys that your sister's a slut."

Jared sighed. "Paul...Jesus."

Seth growled. "That is it." He lunged at Paul, but Sam held him back.

"Seth calm down. Paul would you like me to double your patrol? You still have the punishment to finish and you are close. Don't make me give you more time. Would you like me to add a month?"

Paul crossed his arms and sneered. "It's not a crime to not like somebody."

"Around Seth it is." Jared added.

"It doesn't matter. You need to know to when to quit. This is someone's life we're talking about. DAMN! If you don't have anything nice to say, shut the fuck up then." Sam was fed with his shit.

Paul shuddered.

"Jake is supposed to be here soon. We'll ask him if he knows anything then." Seth informed.

Paul huffed and sat there quietly. He was going to act like he gave a damn. He was being ignored by all of them anyway. They would see how much he liked being ignored. Paul just sat there like a petulant child.

It was nearly midnight when Jake got back and there was still no Leah. "Hey guys! What's up?"

Seth greeted Jake happily. "Hey Jake!" Then his mood quickly changed and his shoulders hunched down.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked.

"Leah's not home yet."

"What?" Jake was stunned.

"She's not here."

Jake was shocked by this news. The wolf in him started to snarl and growl briefly. It was starting to effect his outward appearance and he ended up growling out loud. He began to pace and think. "Seth...She's never been home since?"

Paul answered instead. "Her car is gone."

Jake started to pace. 'That means she did not go home after we spoke. Where could she have gone?' "Well..."

"Well what?" Seth asked.

"I'm not sure where she would be at this hour."

"We were wondering if you know where she is?" Sam inquired.

"No I don't." Jake answered.

"No idea at all? She never told you anything?" Sam asked.

"No."

"She did not say she was going out?" Jared asked.

"She was in a hurry to leave. We were talking, but she was rushing me along. She was her usual self but..." Jake trailed off. He was not sure whether or not he should tell them something is wrong.

Sam beat him to it though. "Jacob I have noticed something is off about Leah. She is acting a little strange. Seth said the same thing earlier. Have you noticed something amiss about her?"

Jake was hesistant to answer him. He knew how Sam is and how he gets when it comes to Leah. "Well yes I have noticed something is off. She has been acting strange lately but I don't know what it is." He already made up his mind a while back that he was not going to reveal to them about her coughs and being cold. He decided to keep it to himself for now.

Sam could tell that Jacob was hiding something, but he did not know and was not sure. He wanted to know though and he made a promise to himself that he will find out. "Jacob if you know anything, please tell us. We only want to help her."

Jake was getting annoyed. " I told you all I had to say and all that I know Sam." The wolf started to growl and snarl within him. It hated the questions Sam was asking. The wolf was protective and was aggravated about this. 'Who the hell does he think he is? Leah is his and no one else's.'

Sam growled. "I know you two have been chummy lately and she had to have told you something or you had to have noticed something. There's something you're not telling us."

Jake growled right back. "Dammit Sam...I said I don't know. Even if I did, I would_ never _tell you. Leah is not your fucking concern anyway." Jake was pissed. His wolf was growling and snarling and it hated that Sam challenged him.

"She is my fucking concern."

Jake stepped closer to Sam. "No she is not. You have not showed any ounce of care or compassion for her ever since you left her. You did not even try to befriend her. She is nothing to you. Don't you fucking _dare_ act like you care now."

Sam growled deeply and loudly. 'How dare he? How dare he judge my feelings for Leah? He has no fucking right.' "Jacob...I do care about her." Jake interrupted him.

"Yeah well you have a funny fucking way of showing it."

"Jacob...Just listen. I do care about her. I will always care. She's Leah. How can I not care? She..." He trailed off unable to finish.

"She's what? _What_ Sam?" Jake prompted.

"I'm done with this argument. Let's just go look for her." Sam suggested.

"Finally!" Paul rolled his eyes. I'm pretty sure she's the only person left in America with a '67 Impala so let's see if we can find it."

They all left the house and drove out to Forks to look for Leah. They checked the hair salon, _Burgers-N-Fries_, a diner, and the local bakery called _The Pastry Hut_. They had no luck in any of the places they checked. As they were debating if to go home and try again later, Quil pointed at the local bar, _The Roadhouse_. All of the bikers in the area hung out there and other gang members as well.

"The Roadhouse? I don't think Leah would work in this type of environment guys." Embry said. He was Leah's best friend and he knew her. However, things have not been the same lately. So he would not be surprised if she was working there. It would just be difficult to accept.

"Well...Embry think again. No fucking way." Paul said as he pointed to the driveway. In the driveway was Leah's car.

Seth looked at the car and concentrated on it's features and then suddenly his eyes widened. "Oh shit...That is Leah's car."

"Yes...That is it. We've got to go in there and get her out." Jake said.

The pack agreed and they all walked inside. As soon as they opened the door, they were hit in the face with the smell of cigarette and wasted beer. The scent was disgusting. They looked around. Jared peered around some old drunken men and shouted. "Guys! There!" He pointed across the floor.

Leah was standing at an arcade game machine with an old man. She looked at him and smirked. "Pay up." She placed the fake gun back in the holster near the game machine.

"Well Jesus miss." The man pulled out two fifty dollars bills and handed them to her. Leah took the bills and put them down into her cleavage and then she smirked pridefully.

A kind-looking woman walked over to the duo. "You really should have checked the high score on that thing before you bet with her Robbie." She pressed a button on the game; all high scores registered to Lee.

The man stomped his foot on the floor. "Dangnabbit."

The elderly woman smiled at him and said teasingly. "You just got played and hustled."

The pack just stood there and watched the whole thing. They were stunned.

Leah walked behind the bar and poured a pitcher of beer and she lit a cigarette and placed it between her lips. She then walked over to a nearby table and dropped the pitcher on top of it; serving the customers their alcohol.

The guys' faces were incredulous. They could not believe they were seeing Leah like this. Sam was angry, but Jake was pissed. His inner wolf was snarling, growling, and fighting to get out. He wanted to stake his claim on her right here and now. He was trying hard not to phase. Seth noticed Jake's tensed stance and leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"Jake...Calm down. Getting angry with her and making a scene will get us nowhere. Stop it." He then turned to Sam. "You stop it too. You guys will only push her away further if you act like this."

"What ahould we do? Should we approach her?" Embry asked.

Quil spoke up. "Are you guys sure you want to appraoch her now? At her workplace? I think we should confront her when we're home. That way she has nowhere to run."

"I can't fucking believe she works in a bar." Paul started to walk towards Leah. "What the fuck Leah?"

Before he could get too close to her however, Seth quickly grabbed him and pulled him back. "Paul...What are you doing? You are the last person she would want to see right now." Seth dragged him back to the rest of the guys.

Leah raised an eyebrow when she heard her name being called, but she saw no one. She went back to what she was doing.

Paul protested greatly at not being able to talk to Leah. "I don't give a damn. I'm not going to cause a scene. Let's just sort this shit out right now! She doesn't look too busy; we won't get her fired."

"Paul...For the last time, now is _not_ the time. If it's anyone who should go to Leah, it sure as hell can't be you." Embry said through gritted teeth. He was starting to get sick and tired of Paul's attitude. "Stay your ass right here and shut up. We'll figure something out."

"Guys...I think we should confront her at home. We can't embarrass her like this. How would it look to others for Leah to have seven men coming after her in a bar to talk? Seven half naked men I should add." Quil made a good point.

Sam and Jake were both silent. They were seething inside, especially Jake. His wolf was getting more and more aggressive by the minute.

"I actually want to do it now. Like Paul said; we'll be cool. Let's all order a beer or something at least then we look like we fit in." Jared suggested.

Seth agreed with him. "I was going to suggest something like that. Let's just find a booth and sit down and wait. Let's observe how she behaves here. We can wait until closing time or after she's done and confront her by her car."

"I still think we should wait until we get home. You guys know Leah. She will not hesitate to go ballistic. She'll hate the fact that we bombarded her here. I do agree with us staying here in a booth, but I think the questioning should be done at home." Quil said. He was worried too because Sam and Jake were both hotheads, especially Jake. He was the one with the least control over his feelings.

Since Embry is the third in charge, he made the decision for all of them. Sam and Jake are too angry to talk. "We are going to just sit in a booth and wait for while. Half an hour will be the most time we spend here. If Leah approaches us, then fine. We speak to her, but not attack her. We'll just let her know that we now know. We'll save the screaming for later. Is that understood?" He looked at all of them and they all nodded in response to him.

They all found an empty booth in the back. Their plan epically failed when it's Leah who came to take their orders. "So you boys have finally discovered my lair of evil. Well done." She blew out some smoke. "Try the chicken platter; it's pretty damn good. She looked at Seth. "You're really too young to be in here."

"You little _bitch_." Paul had to be the one to talk to her first.

Leah rolled her eyes at him. "I love you too."

Paul was surprised and impressed to say the least. He hid his feelings well however, and questioned her. "How the fuck did you manage this? How long have this been going on?"

"I've been working here since I was 16 boys." Leah answered.

At this news, Sam's face was incredulous and appalled. "_What?_? Since when?"

"Since I was 16; like I just said."

Jared was stunned too. "Jesus Leah...in a bar?"

"Yes...I make good money here."

Sam stared into off into space. "Then that means..." He trailed off.

Jake was just sitting there quietly seething. He was so pissed; too pissed to say anything.

Seth spoke up next. "Lee...Why a bar?" He was so shocked at his sister. He always knew something was wrong, but this was just too much. Leah would never work in a bar. That was just not her.

Leah turned to Seth. "Why not? I'm good at pool and darts. Besides, as gross as it sounds, my hot young ass brings in customers."

Seth's eyes opened as wide as saucers. His sister would not answer him like that...not with those kind of words.

Jake almost lost it when he heard that. He wanted to lift her up, hoist her on his shoulders and bring her home. That was what his inner wolf was telling him to do. He was trying hard not to phase.

"Leah...Don't talk like that. You are not some piece of meat." Sam told her.

"Yes we know all that, but it does help for tips." Leah replied.

"If you've been here since you were sixteen, then that means while we were togther, you were working here? What the fuck Leah?" Sam roared out loud.

"No after we broke up or should I say after you cheated on me. Yeah...that sounds more accurate."

"No...that cannot be. It's while we were together. Leah...What are you doing? This is not like you." Sam asked.

Jake, who was still sitting there quietly for the whole time they're there finally opened his mouth and spoke. "What time do you guys close?"

"4 AM. I don't care if you need to throw a punch at me over nothing; just don't hurt my car. Now seriously...Are you guys going to order or something?" Leah did not have the time for this right now. She had work to do.

Seth looked at his watch. "It's now 2 AM."

Jake looked at Leah, growled and spoke through gritted teeth. "When you get home, we _are_ going to talk about this. I p..." He stopped. He was going to say promise, but thought better of it. That was Sam's word not his. "I give you my word. You and I _will_ talk about this. Come on Seth." With that, he got up and left the bar with Seth following him. The both of them were furious.

Leah rolled her eyes. "Oh for crying out loud." She lifted her hands in the air exasperated.

"Oh for crying out loud is fucking right. Leah...this is a shocker and you can't just expect us to take this lightly. I will see you at home." Quil got up and walked out after Jake.

Jared sighed. "I don't have anything to say." He walked out too.

"I have alot to say, but I'll wait until you get home tonight." Paul smirked evilly at her and left as well.

Embry's face was blank, but inside he could not believe his eyes. He and Leah were once good friends; best friends and now he feels as if he's looking at a stranger. He missed the way they used to be. "Leah...Lee...I'm leaving. I just can't stand to see you in a place like this." Moreover, she was acting so cold and treated them like they were not important. He got up and left.

Now the only person who was left was Sam. He was just sitting there seething. He wanted to talk, but he could not get the words out. He wanted to drag her out, but he knows he can't. 'What do I say to her? How do I say it?'

"Go home Sam. You don't belong in here; none of you do."

Sam stood up and looked at her with a strange expression on his face. An expression she has never seen before. "Neither do you Leah, neither do you. The Leah I know would never lower her standards and work in a place like this. She would never leave her little brother home by himself for too long. She would never have this kind of attitude at all. Where is she? I want her back. We all do, but I guess she's lost and never coming back."

Leah gave him the same expression back. "Dead and gone Sam." Inside she thinks the Leah he sees now is soon to follow. Then she gave him a bitter smile. "But hey, thank God all of you guys stayed the same huh?" She was so sarcastic when she said that.

Sam ignored her question, but spoke anyway. "I know and I can see it. It took me a while but I can. I realized I caused this. I broke the sweetest and most beautiful girl on the rez and turned her into this outer shell; an outer shell of herself. I thought at least your determined and fiery spirit would have kept you grounded but that's gone too. Just know that we all miss and love her very much. Things will never be the same without her if she does not come back." He then walked out and headed home.

Leah shooks her head and went back to work.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! Sorry for the delay, but you know what happens in the real world.**

**Note: ' ' This symbol is for the characters' thoughts or their dialogue when they're phased. **

**Leah's secret is finally revealed. I know you guys have been waiting. Happy Reading!**

A few days later, the pack woke up early for group patrol. A certain member was not in her bedroom, but the window was open. The pack met downstairs in the living room to talk.

"She couldn't have left not too long ago. I don't know about you guys but..." Paul trailed off.

"But what?" Seth asked.

"I want to see what she's up to now." Paul answered.

"Leah has been acting so strange and the bar was one thing. I would not be surprised if there is something else going on. My sister can be really unpredictable. You guys think we should follow her?"

"No offence, but I don't trust her anymore so yeah. I think we should." Jared said.

Seth looked between Sam and Jake. "Jake? Sam?"

Sam inhaled and exhaled loudly. "Yes...Let's do it. I'm going to tell Emily I'm going somewhere first."

Jake rolled his eyes at that and he looked at Seth and remembered he was waiting for his answer. The wolf was purring at Leah's name and it wanted him to go after her. He felt a tug right over his heart pulling at him. He also inhaled and exhaled loudly. "Ok...Let's do it."

The pack left the house and their search lead them to the beach by scent alone. It was strangely weak though. What they saw was probably more shocking than anything else they have ever seen so far. From where the pack was standing on the cliffs which were angled just right, they saw through the steamed windows of a black Cavalier. Sam and Jake knew that car. It belonged to Kyle Lomond, the resident drug dealer of La Push. Leah was on the backseat and to hell if they were not fucking. The pack heard the sounds, the moans and the cries of Leah and Kyle's names.

"No fucking way." Jared cried out.

Seth was in shock, Sam was appaled and hurt, but Jake was livid. His wolf was screaming, growling, and scratching underneath the surface wanting to phase and come out. His body started to ripple lightly. Paul shook his head. He knew it.

Seth shook himself out of his shock and turned to Jake. "Jake...Don't do it. Don't phase. You'll make things worse." Seth himself was very hurt right now and he was scarred enough as it is and this just added to the list. Jake heard Seth, but he was not listening. It did not register in his mind what Seth was saying. Seth walked over to Jake and placed both hands on both of his shoulders and shook him a little. "Jake...Snap out of it. Don't phase...Remember it's Leah."

Jake finally gave Seth his full attention and he calmed down. The rippling stopped, but he was still furious and it was taking everything in him not to do something drastic at the moment.

The pack then heard the dealbreaker. There was a loud groan when Kyle came. "Fuck! Jess!"

The movement in the car stopped and it was as if the car never moved at all. Leah then rolled the window down, a cigarette between her lips.

"Fuck Lee...I'm sorry." Kyle said.

The pack was too stunned to say anything at the moment so they just stood there.

"I don't blame you. She was beautiful." Leah replied.

Jake had enough. Nobody called her "Lee" except for him. He walked up to the car and knocked on the top of it to get their attention.

Leah looked up at him and then she looked down and shook her head.

Jake banged the top of the car again. This time he did it very loudly and he hit it hard too.

Leah pulled up her clothing and got out of the car. She looked stoned and out of possible recognition. She looked stoned and drunk or stoned or drunk. Either way, she looked the part of either or.

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Here we go."

The pack could not believe their eyes when they saw her; their eyes were as big as saucers. Leah looked horrible. Seth in particular could not believe that his sister looked like that. He was hurt, confused, sad, and angry, but at the moment he was more hurt than anything. He turned away after a while. He could stand the sight of her. He took a deep breath to calm himself and without a word, he ran off back to his house.

"Seth!" Quil called out after him, but he did not stop running. Quil ran off behind him and then Embry followed soon after in case Quil needed help with Seth.

Leah watched him go sadly. "He needs to learn to live without me." She nodded to herself.

Jake heard her and could not believe that out of all the things she could have said, it was that. He was still pissed and stunned to say anything yet.

Sam was the first to recover after he saw her nod and then he started to yell at her. "What the _hell_ are you doing Leah? What has gotten into you? Look at yourself!" He gestured to her body.

Jake just stood there quietly. He was too angry to say anything yet. His first instinct was to lift her up and carry her home. That is exactly what he planned to do after they hear her and Kyle out.

Sam continued to reprimand her. "Look at what you did to Seth. He is going to be traumatized for a while. You know how much he looks up to you and this is what you do? This is _not _you Leah!"

"Who are you?" Jared asked. He then turned around and jogged after Embry, Quil, and Seth.

Sam kept yelling. He was really pissed. "What is going on? What has gotten into you?"

"Kyle." Leah answered.

Jake stood there quietly and bided his time. His time was coming in a moment.

Leah and Kyle were so fucked that they laughed. It was a joke to them. The whole situation was hilarious.

"Somebody better answer me dammit!" Sam shouted furiously.

Leah and Kyle laughed again at his outburst.

"What's the matter Sam? Got your boxers in a twist? Go home and fuck Emily. You and your fucked up imprint." Kyle laughed and teased him.

Sam's face almost paled at the statements told to him. 'He knows. Dear Jesus he knows what we are.' Those thoughts echoed in his head.

Jake was beyond livid. 'Kyle has the audacity to laugh?' Enough was enough. Jake took Kyle by the shoulders and roughly slammed him unto the hood of the car. He slammed him hard, but not hard enough to injure him. "Sam has been asking what is going on and you have not answered up to now, so I guess I'll have to be the one to make you answer." He leaned in a little closer to his face and said calmly but firmly. "Now before I rearrange your face, _tell_ me what the fuck is going on here right now!"

Leah scoffed and sat down on the hood of the car and finally answered Sam. "And you're you?"

Kyle looked at Leah and then back at Jake. "Seriously? Guys? Can you leave? Fuck off or something. Leah and I want to get stoned."

"I'm already stoned you retard. If I do smoke anymore weed though, I'll be a retard just like you."

Kyle snickered. "Yeah you're stoned enough, but I'm not."

Jake moved his hands away from Kyle and stepped back. Kyle was too stoned to really comprehend everything anyway. He looked at Sam and he nodded in understanding. Jake still answered Kyle though and spoke in a low voice. "When we leave, Leah is coming with us."

Leah turned her attention to Sam and finally answered his questions. "I don't know Sammy. A whole lot of shit. Go talk to Emily; she has all the answers. Kim and Rachel too." She got off the hood of the car and walked up to Sam and stood face to face with him. "Yeah Sammy...Get a little madder. Get angry and scar up girl number two. Have yourself a time."

Sam's face turned stoic and he started to shake, but he remembered it was Leah and she was not herself. He will not be provoked. He refused to make a second mistake like that.

Kyle however, goaded him on. "Yeah Sammy. Lose control and scar up that pretty face of hers. Make sure you scar each side too." He then laughed.

Jake grabbed Kyle and slammed him onto the hood again and did so harder and Kyle cried out in pain.

"Jake stop it." Leah cried out after she heard the impact.

Kyled tried to push Jake away from him, but to no avail. So he stopped struggling and just spoke. "You haven't noticed anything odd? Anything off? She does not eat, sleep and she lost over twenty pounds. Thought you fuckers had supersonic hearing. Pay attention to her heartbeat." He sighed deeply. He said the one thing Jake, Sam, and Paul least expected to hear. He said it like it was the most normal thing in the world. "She dying you fucking idiots."

This revelation made Jake loosen his grip and stepped back. He and Sam exchanged incredulous looks. Jake looked back at Kyle. "What the fuck did you just say?"

"Kyle shut it." Leah shouted roughly.

Kyle sighed deeply. "Nothing. Go home or whatever. I'll stay with her while she sobers up and then I'll bring her home."

Jake growled and then he snapped out of his shock. "Hell _no_! You can't just say something like that and expect us to leave it alone." The wolf in Jake started to get even more annoyed and edgy. It wanted to wipe the stupid smug look off of Kyle's face.

Sam took a deep breath. "What did you just say? What do you mean by she's dying?"

"I said nevermind it." Kyle responded.

Jake's patience reached the end of his rope and he snapped. 'Enough of the secrets and the sneaking around and the weird behavior.' The wolf was pissed and growled even more ferociously. It started to push against Jake very hard. "You know what? I am not going to stand for this anymore. Leah...We are leaving right _now_!" He started to move towards her.

Sam looked at Jake like he lost his mind and he probably did. No one ever told Leah what to do. He was taking a big risk. "Jacob...Let her be."

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Just leave her with me Jacob. You don't know how to deal with this shit."

Leah rested her head and back on the hood of her car. She was too tired to argue.

Jake ignored Kyle but answered Sam. "Like hell I am." He turned to Leah. "Leah...Get your things. We are leaving and do _not_ fight me on this. If you do, I'll lift you up and carry you myself. _Let's go_!"

"Jacob...Let her be. You'll only make her angry." Sam reminded him.

Jake turned to him. "Look at her Sam. Do you really want to leave her here looking like this? I don't and I won't."

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here."

Jake turned back to Leah. He and his wolf were fed up with her behavior. 'Why can't she see what she's doing to us? Why can't she see how much she's hurting us? Hurting me? My inner wolf is so angry, hurt, and in pain. It has never expressed feelings like this before. I cannot stand it anymore. Yes I have imprinted, but my wolf is not satisfied. It does not want the imprint. I'll deal with the imprint later. For now I'll focus on Leah. No Nessie for a while.' "Leah..._Let's go!_" He lowered his voice and spoke calmly one last time. "Please come with me Leah."

Leah looked up at him. Jake's voice always had a way of capturing her attention. Jake always had a way of affecting her period, but she felt that it's too late now for her...them. "Jacob...go home."

Jake growled again and shouted next. "Fuck it!" He stood right in front of her where she was laying down on the car and he lifted her up and threw her onto his right shoulder.

Paul sighed in relief. "Finally."

Leah struggled on his shoulder. "Jake stop it!"

"I asked you three times nicely and you left me no choice fucking choice. You are coming with me now. Sam and Paul let's go!" Without even realizing it, they obeyed his command at once without any hesitation. It was close to the tone of the alpha.

Kyle suddenly decided he had some guts. "Put her the fuck down!"

Sam addressed him though. "Kyle if you know what's good for you, you will stay out of this. This has nothing to do with you. So go back to doing whatever it is you do and we'll come back and deal with you later."

"This have everything to do with me! Leave her alone!"

With Leah on his shoulder, Jake stopped and faced Kyle and growled menacingly at him. "You're right. It does have alot to do with you, but like Sam said we will come back for you when we're done with her. Now I am already _very_ pissed off so don't try me and make me shove those cigarettes down your fucking throat. Now back off got it?"

Kyle growled but he backed off. He knew what they were and he won't be able to do much so he stepped back.

Leah continued to struggle on Jake's massive shoulder. "Jake let go. Put me down."

Jake ignored her and continued talking to Kyle. "When we come back, we won't harm you unless you do or say something stupid. You probably know what we are, but we _definitely_ know what you do. Behave wisely." Jake then turned his head to Leah. "Stop struggling. You'll only make youself tired." With that said, he proceeded to walk on the way to the Clearwater home with Sam and Paul trailing behind him.

Soon they were home and Leah stopped fighting halway through the walk. She already seemed tired.

Jake stepped through the door with Leah on his shoulder and all of the guys were seated in the living room waiting. The atmosphere was tense; Jake was stilled pissed.

"Will you put me down now?" Leah asked.

"No not until I'm ready to. Now please be quiet." Jake replied. Even though he was angry, he still could not bring himself to be too hard on her. He was thinking about what Kyle said. Maybe that's why she was coughing so much and why she was cold all the time. 'Either way I'm going to get to the bottom of everything.'

Everyone was in the living room watching and waiting. Seth's face was full of melancholy. The pain was so visible in his eyes and he was still stunned at his sister's attitude and behavior.

Jake stood in front of everyone and spoke. "Guys this may sound strange but please trust me on this."

"What?" Sam asked.

Paul raised an eyebrow.

Embry was still trying to console Seth and Quil perked up and gave Jake his full attention. For the whole time Sam, Jake, Paul, and Leah arrived, Seth did not move nor blink even once.

Jake continued. "I know you guys want some answers, but bombarding and ambushing her will not solve anything. I am going to take Leah outside somewhere to talk. I promise we'll be back and we'll tell you everything. Won't we Leah?" He patted her bottom.

""Fuck you." She replied.

Sam disagreed. "Wait a minute...Why would..." but Jake interuppted him.

"Sam you are the last person Leah will talk to right now." He turned his head to Leah. "Fuck you too. Now there...Put that in your cigarette pipe and smoke it."

The guys looked at Jake like he grew two heads. Embry and Quil smirked afterwards. If it's anyone who could deal with Leah, it's Jake.

"If I fucking could, I would. So _put me the fuck down _Jake." Leah started to get angry too.

The pack's mouths were opening and closing like fishes. They were highly amused at Leah and Jake.

Jake looked at the guys intensely. "We'll be back later." He turned around and started walking towards the door when he growled and spoke to Leah again. "Leah..._Shut up_!" The wolf was getting impatient and Jake's feelings were going haywire and he did not know how to put a stop to the craziness he was feeling.

Leah shut up at the tone of Jake's voice. It was not the alpha tone however, but she realized he meant business.

Jake started to run with her towards the direction of the woods. During the run, Leah started up again.

"What is with you?"

Jake ignored her and kept running, but he had no idea where he was going. After a couple minutes, he answered her. "What is with me? What is with you? Don't you see how you're behaving? You're worst than your normal bitchy self." Jake arrived at his destination and he finally put her down. In a deep voice that's deep enough to probably penetrate steel, he said with a growl, "Now...You _are_ going to talk to me. We are _not_ leaving here until we talk. Got it? I _mean it_. Do _not_ push me!" Jake meant business; he was sick and tired with her attitude and he was not going to put up with it anymore.

Leah knew damn well than to test Jake at this point. She loved him and yes he does deserve to know everything, but she can't bring herself to do it. She can't bring herself to say anything. Her voice was back to normal when she spoke to him though. "There is nothing to talk about Jake."

Jake ignored her lie and went right to the point. "What did Kyle mean when he said you are dying? What was he talking about?"

"He was fried; he did not mean anything."

"Leah...I have no time for games. You are coughing alot and you have a cold. I am going to ask you again. What did he mean?"

Leah looked out at the water, then back at him. "It won't matter soon. It'll be a memory to you. Renesmee will make it go away as soon as she can shake her little ass I bet."

Jake sighed. "Stop throwing Renesmee in my face and trying to change the damn subject. This is not about me or her; this is about you right now. Renesmee fulfills my imprint bond, but not my inner wolf. My inner wolf is all you so yes it does matter. So tell me..." He growled unexpectedly. "Did you hear that? If you did, then that's my wolf talking. It has a reaction to you so yes it does matter. Big time! So tell me!" He said forcefully.

Then Leah finally snapped. "I'm _dying_ Jake okay? I might have a few months left. As it turns out, my dad's wolf gene wasn't the only bullshit he passed down to me."

Jake's whole composure changed. His body went rigid with the news. He stared at her stunned, hurt, and confused. "What? How? I...When did this happen?"

"Last year after the Volturi left."

"Last year?"

She nodded and walked to the edge of the cliffs. She stood at the top, staring down into the deep blue sea below. "It was like a week after...I got really sick. I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't breathe. I called the blonde leech and went to see him and voila. I have a death sentence on my head."

"What? Carlisle? Carlisle knew about this? Is he the only one that knows about this?"

Leah shook her head. "Rosalie, Edward, and Emmett know."

Jake's composure changed again and he went stiff and tensed. "You mean to tell me that nearly all of the Cullens know about this and we don't? What kind of sick shit is that? Edward saw me many times and did not say shit. How dare he not tell me? What the fuck Leah? What about us? The pack? Seth?" He said the last person's name in a small voice. "Me?"

"I told them not to tell you. You have bigger, better things to worry about, Jake. You have your whole life together; planned and it's a good thing, Jake." She turned to face him. Her voice sounded like she was pleading. "Like I said...This isn't your burden to bear and I was planning on leaving soon just so you'd have time to forget."

Jake looked at her stunned. He was in shock mode at the moment. The wolf was howling pitifully and purring loudly at this news. His head was full of his inner wolf's pleas. His chest was aching with the need to just shake her until she came to her senses. He walked up to her and stood directly in front of her and spoke softly. "Would you stop that? You are not a burden. Never was, is, and never will be. Stop saying my life will be great."

"You used to say differently. All of you did even Sam. You only care now because something's actually wrong." Leah replied. Her voice was soft as well.

Jake was really getting annoyed with her right now. He was tired of her comparing him to Sam. He was not Sam. "For the _umpteenth_ time, I am _not_ Sam. Stop it." He cupped both of her cheeks in his hands and stroked them with his thumbs and said again but more softly. "I am _not_ Sam; stop telling me that. I've never treated you like he did. I have always cared about you Leah. Always! Just because I have imprinted does not mean I stopped. I never stopped caring about you. Haven't you noticed how I divide my time? I am back and forth between you guys all the time."

"But I _can't_ live on borrowed time! I_ can't _live with Sam and Emily! I _can't_ live with my dad gone and I _can't_ live being this miserable all the time when there's nothing anyone can do to change it!" She pushed him away from her breathing heavily. "I just want this to be over." She looked back at the water below.

Jake grabbed her again and pulled her close to him and far from the water. He did not trust the closeness to the edge. "Yes you can Leah. Look at me. Look at me!" He said firmly.

Reluctantly, Leah raised her grey eyes to his light brown ones.

Jake stared at her intensely. "This is not the end of the world. This is not the end of you. We will find out everything in our power, especially me, to figure this whole thing out. We care about you...All of us do. Yeah...We may be dicks most of the time, but you have not made things any easier yourself Leah. You know that.

"Exactly you fucking idiot. I'm _doing this for you_!" Leah announced.

"No you're not. You're doing this for yourself. You want to know why I'm saying that?" He asked.

"Leah laughed bitterly. "Of course I'm doing it for me too. I lost everything that mattered and you guys are the only ones I got left."

"Leah...You are taking our ability to try to help you and be there for you away from us. That's not fair. You are who we've got too you know. Look at Seth, _your brother_. How do you think he's feeling? How do you think he's going to react to finding out about this and you willingly kept this from him? What are you going to tell him?

"You weren't suppose to know! He's not suppose to know. I was going to leave and at least then he could hate me. It's the role I was given to play and I'm going to play it. I'll be fate's bitch and I don't care anymore. I really don't."

Jake was fed up and sick of her talking shit and he raised his voice. His wolf was also fed up and it was growling viciously now. "Leah for fuck's sake you are _not_ alone! _Stop_ saying that. This affects everybody: the pack, Seth, and me! It will surely affect me a helluva lot! Alot more than you can _ever_ fucking imagine." He lowered his voice. "Sometimes fate's a bitch, but there is always a twist. Fate can be beaten at her own game. You just have to know how to play it. You_ are_ worth something; something to be valued and treasured. You are the only female wolf in histroy for a reason. You just have not figured it out yet. So instead of pitying yourself, you should be enjoying your life to the fullest and being happy."

"That's what I'm doing."

"Yes...but not like that."

Leah did understand what he's saying. Hell she loved him, but he could never know. Her life was at it's wits end as she knew it. There was no coming back from this. So instead of confessing her feelings, she lashed out. "Being drunk and fried makes me happy. Because you know what? I don't give a shit but these next words are going to hurt. I like the drugs because when I'm around _you_ and them and I'm on the pills and weed and booze, it doesn't hurt so fucking much to look at you. To look at Sam and Paul and Jared and Embry and even my own goddamn little brother who doesn't deserve to deal with this shit. It helps the crap Paul says to me go down a little easier. It helps keeps me sane. Hell..." She laughed to herself. "If I didn't get high all the time, Kyle wouldn't of saved my life. I would've finished it by now."

Jake looked at her with a hard face, but inside he was devastated. The wolf was howling in pain at her words. It knew she was it's mate. It wanted to do something to help her. Anything. "Well...I'll have to thank that fucker when I see him then. Leah...It hurts me to see you too. I'm not talking about now, I'm talking about the very beginning from since I met you. It hurt watching you from afar when you were single and happy. I wanted to approach you but couldn't because of my shyness. It hurt watching you be with Sam knowing he was yours and you were his at the time. It hurt watching you hurt when he left you, but you were so cold and distant, you were not approachable. It hurt looking at you and admiring and praising you from afar knowing I have an imprint. It hurts seeing you now all angry, depressed, and fighting against the world. You might not care about this or what I'm about to say next." He stepped closer to her. The wolf started purring in joy at the closeness. He cupped her cheeks again and stroked them with his thumbs. He stroked her lips, jaw, and her forehead.

Leah leaned into his touches absentmindedly. It was like she moved on instinct and she did love him. She loved him so much and she wanted to believe in everything he was saying but it was too late now. In addition to that, she was so scared that what happened with Sam, will happen with him. Jake had an imprint and she will _not_ make the same mistake twice.

Jake continued. "You may not completely understand what I'm saying right now, but Leah I care about you...alot. I have feelings for you. I feelings that I can't explain. Weren't you listening to my words in our previous conversations? My inner wolf is drawn to you; it wants and needs you. I don't know why or how, but it does. I do not want those feelings to disappear though. I will try my best to help you. That is a vow I made. Until I can figure this out, I won't force myself or my feelings on you. When I saw you earlier with Kyle, I wanted to rip the car door off and break him in half, but I couldn't. I couldn't because I knew I would just hurt you more. Yes...I know I have an imprint, but my wolf wouldn't be behaving like this if everything was perfect. Everything is not perfect; something is wrong. Even your scent is calling to my wolf. Even though you are surrounded by smoke, your scent is the same."

Leah listened to every word Jake said and her heart rejoiced but her head told her to run. It told her to run far away. Jake had an imprint and she was not going risk her heart again. She won't survive another let down. She took the easy way out instead. "Just because I'm dying, the animal inside you is picking up on that."

"No that's not true. Even before I found out you were dying, my inner wolf has been feeling that way. So don't try to tell me that. My inner wolf is going crazy right now too. The fact that I found out you are dying, my wolf's a mess."

"Go see Renesmee...He won't be for long." Leah was in full blown denial.

Jake rolled his eyes. I have already seen her for the day. Right now all that matters is you."

Leah started to tremble. She knew her feelings for him were there. Hell..she already admitted to herself that she loved him, but she was so scared. She can't...she won't. It would be so pointless. "Jake...Just please..." She held her chest suddenly as she began to cough hard.

**AN: Nice cliffhanger huh? Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please review. I see that many of you have my story alerted, but it would help me a great deal if you leave some feedback and review. It really helps to know your feelings on the story and if you're liking it as much as I do. Plus, it motivates me to update faster. Thank you very much in advance! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Hey guys! I should've done this in the beginning but actually forgot. Just to let you know that the color of Leah's eyes in my story are blue. I got reviews in which it was mentioned about the color of Leah's eyes so I just thought I should notify my readers about it. Also I should have given you the ages of the pack. They are as follows: **

**Jake - 20**

**Leah - 19**

**Seth - 17**

**Jared & Paul - 21**

**Embry & Quil - 20**

**Sam - 22**

**Anyway... on to the next chapter. Enjoy!**

Jake started to panic. "Leah? Leah?" He held onto her and started to pat her back softly. "Easy honey. Take it easy. Take a deep breath and exhale slowly." While he patted her back, she continued to cough, but the coughs became soft as she calmed down. After a moment, she stopped coughing completely and regained her composure. "Are you ok now? Can you walk?"

Leah nodded while she wiped away a few drops of blood from her lips and stood up. Jake handed her a hanky from his back pocket. "Here you go Lee."

"Thank you." She took it slowly and spat on the ground a few times while she cleaned the blood from her mouth. It was really starting to look scary now. It was starting to get too real and Jake was slowly starting to get scared deep inside. His wolf howled and growled in a slight panic at seeing it's mate in that state.

"You do know we have to tell the others don't you?" Jake asked.

"I can say no but you will anyway."

"Yes I will. They deserve to know, especially Seth. He deserved the truth the most. Did you think about him at all?"

"If I left, it would've been quick. Now he has to see me get sicker and sicker. You don't get it; you never will."

"Leah if you left without telling him, you would've taken away his choise and his time with you. That's selfish on your part. Seth is seventeen and will be eighteen in a couple months. He's mature enough to handle this just like you were mature enough to work in a damn bar."

"Whatever Jake." She leaned against a tree. "Do and think whatever you want. I just want to go home now." She looked so tired at that moment. That coughing fit sucked alot of energy from her.

Jake took a deep breath and sighed. "Ok baby. Let's go." He put his arm around her to help her up. It was as if he was lending her strength. As they were walking he had to let her know one thing. "We'll put this conversation on hold for now, but you and I, we're not done. We never will be; I give you my word. My inner wolf nor I will _ever_ leave you."

Her weak heart actually found the strength to skip a beat at his words. It sounded too good to be true and she still won't bring herself to believe it. At least not yet.

"The others are probably going crazy now so let's try to hurry back." They head on home as the sun was close to setting. They did not realize they were out for so long.

When they got home, Leah did not even look at the pack as she walked in. She continued slowly up the stairs and headed straight to her room where she collapsed into bed and went right to sleep.

When Leah walk right past the guys, they just looked at her in silence. Seth looked better. He knew he would have a one on one with her later so he did not take her passing him straight as an issue. Once Leah disappeared, the guys then turned to Jake. Sam was the first to speak and broke the silence.

"Where the fuck were you guys?"

"Why don't you calm down? You know how difficault Leah can be. I had to drag it out of her." Jake answered.

"Drag what out of her?" Jared asked.

"I had to drag out what was going on with her."

Sam looked anxious. He knew he should not be acting like this, but he could not help it. Leah was his first. He said impatiently. "Spit it out already. What's wrong with her?"

Jake sighed. "Leah is sick. She's..." He trailed off.

"She's what?" Paul prompted.

"She's..." Jake gulped then looked at all of them and then his eyes started to water, but he blinked back the tears. He refused to let them fall. His wolf was howling in pain.

Seth spoke up next and prompted Jake to continue. "Jake...What is it? You're scaring me."

Jake gulped again and then answered. "Guys...Leah is dying."

Seth's body went cold. He felt as if a bucket of icy cold water was thrown on him. "What? Leah's what?"

"You're shitting me." Paul said bewildered.

"No I'm not. She really is dying. Harry didn't only pass down the wolf gene to Leah.

"His heart disease?" Jared asked tentavely.

Seth began shaking and he started shaking his head left to right repeatedly. "No." He whispered. "Please God...I can't take this...not again." Quil and Embry moved over to him and led him to the couch to sit.

Sam was in denial. He refused to believe it. "It can't be. That is not true. She's a wolf. It's impossible."

"Nothing is impossible Sam. Yes Leah is a wolf, but the gene was not able to counter it. She went to Carlisle and had an examination done and he confirmed it. He did everything he could and there was nothing that could be done." He paused in thought and then continued. "Guys...earlier this week I did notice her acting strange but I shrugged it off. She was coughing alot and the same day we went patrolling and we ran off, we were at the cliffs and that's when I first noticed the strange coughing. Before that I noticed she would get cold. She would wrap her jacket tight around her. Hell that was the first time I noticed her wearing a jacket in the first place. I had my suspicions that something was wrong, but was not expecting that. She confirmed it today though. She's sick...very sick. She coughed earlier and it was really bad. She coughed up alot of blood." Jake was shivering internally. Saying it out loud made the situation all the more real.

Seth could not believe it. His heart was breaking in two. First it was his father and next was Leah. She was the only person he had left. His mother was on Charlie's dick all the damn time. 'I can't take this. If Leah dies, I'll be all alone.' "Fuck! This can't be happening. She's all I have left and I _cannot_ take this." His eyes were full of tears and his voice cracked when he spoke. He rose up from the couch and left through the front door to be alone. However, before he closed the door he turned to the guys and said quickly. "Don't worry about me. I just need some space and time to think. I'll be back later." They all watched him go sadly.

Sam himself is in shock. He couldn't believe his Leelee was sick. He walked over to the couch and sat down. He put it his head in his hands and sighed deeply. "Oh my God!"

Jared growled lowly. "This can't be. This can't fucking happen! It's supposed to be impossible."

"Nothing is impossible Jared." Embry reminded him.

"We may be shape-shifters and powerful, but we're not invincible." Quil added.

Paul sighed. "Clearly."

"She really thinks her life is over. She was planning on leaving without telling us." Jake informed.

Sam finally looked up. "What?"

"She was going to leave without saying anything. She claims it's to spear us. She firmly believes she's a burden to us...that we'll be better off without her." Jake could not even bring himself to say those words, but he had to. He had to let them know how Leah felt.

"That is not true." Quil protested.

"Why would she think that?" Embry asked.

Sam looked at Embry intensely. "Well Embry we haven't exactly been the best of friends with her. Jacob...how long has she known about this?"

"About a year."

"Fuck! A year?" Sam asked in horror. He was in shock for the second time that day. He did the math and he realized it was around the same time he left her for Emily. 'Leah must've felt so alone.' "Oh no...Leelee." He whispered.

The guys all looked at him in sadness. They also remembered what happened around that time.

Paul shook his head. "Well this is fucking perfect."

"What should we do guys?" Embry asked.

"Well according to Carlisle it's hereditary. There's nothing that we can do. This was genetically passed down to her." Jake informed them sadly.

"How long does she have?" Sam inquired.

"Not long...give or take a few months. Maybe three or four."

"This is not fair...this is bullshit. It's not like she doesn't have it shitty enough already!" Jared exclaimed.

Jake stared at Jared like he grew two heads. He thought all of them were full of shit. They all treated Leah like crap except for Seth and Embry so he did not see why they were acting so sad now. "Since when did you care?"

"Since when did you?" Jared retorted.

"FYI I _always_ cared and she knows that. I'm afraid I can't say the same for you guys." Jake looked directly at Sam when he said that.

Jared narrowed his eyes. "So fucking sorry I would've rather worried about the love of my life instead of a girl I hardly knew."

"My thoughts exactly." Paul agreed.

Jake was fed up with their stupid attitude. "You know what? Fuck you guys! She was there before _any_ of you guys imprinted any fucking which way so you have no fucking excuse for acting like the asses you are. I imprinted but you don't see me being a bitch and being all up in my imprint's ass. So don't you dare start with me!"

"Jacob!" Sam called his name to try to calm him.

Paul being his usual arrogant self continued anyway and he scoffed. "It doesn't fucking matter!" He growled at Jake. "When she left and joined your stray little pack, it wasn't like we all knew what was going on! She liked you but hey surprise! You imprinted. Now tell me Jake...who's your actual girlfriend? Renesmee or Leah? Because you damn well know it ain't the girl upstairs."

Jake growled menacingly at Paul and it was a growl he hardly ever used let alone on one of his pack brothers. He moved closer to Paul and said "Paul...you don't know shit! You see that girl upstairs? She happens to be someone I care about a whole fucking lot. I cared about her since forever and she _knows_ that. You don't know what I've been going through with this imprint. In fact, if it wasn't for the imprint, I would be with her. Leah would have been _mine_! Don't talk about shit you know _nothing_ about!"

Sam perked up when Jake said that Leah would have been his and he was annoyed. "What did you say?"

Jake answered while he was still looking at Paul with an intense look on his face. He was still growling. His wolf was agitated and wanted to rip his head off. "You heard me Sam."

Sam was furious. 'How dare he say that in front of me?' "What do you mean Leah would be yours? What are you getting at Black?"

"Yeah what are you getting at?" Paul added.

Jake growled again. The wolf in him wanted to stake it's claim and say it. He felt like he could phase at any moment. 'Should I tell them? Fuck it! I'm tired of hiding.' "You want to know what I'm getting at? Fine! I'll gladly tell you." He went and stood in front of all of them.

Quil spoke to him calmly and encouraged him. "Jake you know you can talk to us right?" He pointed between hinself and Embry. "Don't listen to those dicks over there."

Jake looked at Quil and Embry nicely. "I know guys. Thanks!" He turned his attention to everybody else. "Now there _is_ something going on."

"I think we've established that already." Paul interrupted.

"Shut up Paul and let him speak." Embry snapped.

Jake continued. "A couple of weeks ago before all of this happened, before I noticed Leah was acting strangely, my wolf has been acting strange."

"Your wolf?" Embry asked.

Sam perked up abruptly.

"Yeah...the other half of our lives? Yes...my wolf has been acting up." Jake answered.

"Well our wolves do have minds of their own...like being responsible for imprinting." Sam informed.

"Well...a couple weeks ago...remember the morning when we were all here waiting on Leah to come downstairs to make breakfast?"

"Yeah...what about it?"

"Do you remember how I was behaving with Leah in the kitchen?" Jake asked.

"Yeah...like a perv." Jared answered.

"Yeah...you cornered her and you looked like you wanted to just eat her alive? Yeah...I remember." Embry added.

"Well...that was my wolf."

"Really?" Quil asked in disbelief.

Jake looked at each of their faces one by one as he spoke. "My wolf has been acting crazy lately, especially around Leah. Every time I'm around her, it gets happy. It reacts to everything she does and says. It reacts to her attitude, her spunk, her smile, her body, and her smell. Her smell has been changing lately. It changed into a scent my wolf loves and desires. In addition to that, I have _always admired_ Leah and had feelings for her from afar."

Sam could not believe it. This was news to his ears. 'So while I was with Leah, Jacob wanted her. That bastard!' "So you wanted Leah the whole time? You wanted Leah?"

Jake turned to Sam and spoke with an edge to his voice. "You heard me. I'm not a broken record. I am not going to repeat it. Anyway...my wolf reacts to her. Period. Everything she says and does, it brings out a reaction and my feelings. Thus why I've been reacting the worse out of all you guys."

"That's odd. Why? Why just you?" Jared asked.

"I have noticed she was smelling a little differently, but I just choked it up to perfume." Paul said.

All Sam was worrying about were the feelings though. "That can't be. You have an imprint."

"Well Sam I have had feelings for Leah my whole life. Before she got with you, I was too nervous and shy to make a move. I felt intimidated by her. Then she got with you and I respected both you and her relationship to not do anything. Then you two broke up, but she was so bitter and pushed everyone away. I was into Bella at the time, however, I never stopped being her friend. I was always there talking to her. Even when she acted all tough and mean, she spoke to me. I would see glimpses of the old Leah I knew before you _left_ her."

Sam growled. "I had no choice. It was not my fault."

"You left her when she needed you the most. Anyway, this is not about you." He turned to the rest of the guys. "As I was saying...she smells different and my wolf loves it. It's aggressive and it makes me feel all that it's feeling."

"Have you told her? Has she noticed your behavior lately?" Quil asked.

"Yes she does. I have been a little aggressive with her too. It's not what you think...not violent, but in making moves on her. It's like I can't control it." Jake really did not know how the guys would take the news but from what he saw, they were taking it well, except for Sam.

"Can't control what?" Seth asked as he walked through the door. He felt a little better and the fresh air and time alone did him some good. He figured he will confront Leah when the time is right.

"Jake's boner for your sister." Paul said.

"What? Boner? For Leah?" Seth turned to Jake. "What's he talking about?"

"My wolf wants your sister." He told Seth boldly and honestly. He has never lied to Seth and has always looked out for him. He knew Seth adored him too and he wanted Seth to trust him so he was being honest.

"What? Is this some kind of a joke? Cause it's not funny. This is no time to play around guys." Seth reprimanded.

"Seth it's true. Listen." Embry advised.

"My feelings for Leah has always been there, but with my wolf acting up and reacting to her, my feelings have intensified. My wolf wants her and in turn I do."

"How does the imprint react to that? How does the wolf react to your imprint?" Quil asked curiously.

"At first I would feel alot of pain. The bond would throb and ache when I get too close and when my wolf gets too excited. On the other hand, whenever I'm around Nessie, my wolf gets tense, angry, and very aggressive. It would growl and snarl at every touch Nessie gives me. The last time I was with her, I had to leave earlier than expected so I don't snap at her." Jake explained.

"Something's off man." Jared exclaimed.

"I know...I have to figure this out. My wolf, my body and part of my heart wants Leah, but part of it still belongs to Nessie because of the imprint."

"Do you feel the pain of the imprint bond all the time?" Embry asked.

"Honestly...no. It has calmed down overtime. The pain is a dull ache now. I still get the urge to see her, but it's not as strong as it used to be. Leah calls to my wolf; her smell, her voice, her body, her everything. I almost bit her neck in the kitchen that same morning I trapped her against the fridge."

Seth's eyes widened and almost bulged out of his head. "You what?" He jumped up from his place between Quil and Embry and began to walk toward Jake like he was stalking him. Seth looked a whole lot older than he actaully was. "Jake...I will knock you the _fuck_ out if you disrespect my sister."

"I understand Seth and I would never disrespect or take Leah for granted. I never have. You've always known how I feel about her remember? Plus, it's not all me; my wolf is a part of it. Trust me...Leah will be in great hands once I figure this out and am with her."

"Okay...I just wanted to make myself clear that _nobody_ not even _you_ will have the priviledge of disrespecting Leah and get away with it. Consider this a warning." Seth said. All traces of the the kind, sweet, charming, and happy-go-lucky boy was gone and there was an intense, serious, and grown adult man in their presence.

Jake nodded. He understood because if it was his sister, he would react the same way.

Seth went back to his space on the couch satisfied with Jake's answer and he made himself comfortable and the happy-go-lucky Seth was back in place.

Sam's gruff voice filled the silent room. He was still reeling from the revelations and turn of events as of late. "Did you tell Leah about this?"

"Yes I have."

"And?" Seth prompted.

Jake's wolf purred and the space of his heart that Leah occupied jumped in excitement at what he was about to reveal. "Leah feels the same way about me, but she's scared I'll be like Sam and leave her. She's afraid of taking the risk. To add to that, she's dying and even if she does give me a chance, she won't have much time to be with me." Jake said this softly because he could not bring himself to accept that Leah is dying.

Sam's body went rigid and he tensed. "That's impossible Jacob. You can't do this to her. You have an imprint; you'll only hurt her. Leave Leah alone Jake."

"No...never. I've been drawn to her before and after the imprint. There's a reason why and I intend to find out."

"You can't have her. _Never_! I won't allow it!" Sam shouted. He growled and snarled at him. He was adamant. He will not let Jacob have her. Leah was his and his only. He was with her first.

The entire pack looked on with bewildered eyes.

Jake growled and snarled right back at Sam. His growls and snarls were much more aggressive and deadly. "Who the hell do you think you are? Just because you couldn't do it, doesn't mean I can't. Don't be angry because I have the potential to do something you _never_ ever _tried_ to do."

Sam growled and took a step forward. "I loved Leah. I really did. I loved her with everything I had. I did not have a damn choice. I had to leave."

Jake took a step forward also. "Do you hear yourself? _Loved_...that's what you said. Did you even try to fight it?"

Sam looked away.

Jake continued. "Did you? You left without a backwards glance to screw her cousin. When she needed you the most, you left. Now she's sick. All that time she's been sick. You're pathetic!"

Sam walked closer to Jake and got up in his face, but Jake kept talking. " Now you're feeling sorry for yourself and acting guilty. You really are pathetic."

Sam had enough and he held Jake by the shoulders and slammed him against the wall. However, Jake was stronger and faster. He recovered quickly and he chucked Sam then held onto him and slammed him against the wall. Jake got in his face and growled deadly as he spoke. The wolf in him was beyond furious. It felt that Sam was trying to tear it away from it's mate. He growled like he never growled before and spoke lowly. "Don't you ever put your hands on me again. _Ever_! As for Leah, she was better off without you anyway. You don't deserve her and you _never_ did."

Paul and Jared gulped. This has the makings of a beginning of a fight. A very vicious one. Quil and Embry, Jake's cousin and best friends since preschool, jumped up and raced over to Jake and Sam.

"Jake...come on man. Stop it. It's not worth it. Leah is upstairs sick and this is not the time." His cousin Quil said. He put his hand to Jake's left shoulder. Embry agreed with Quil and he tried to pry his hands off of Sam. Seeing as there was no movement from Jake, Quil tried again. "Come on Jake. This is not you; it's the wolf. Take a deep breath and exhale slowly."

Jared and Paul tried to help as well. That's when they heard a soft cough from the staircase. They all turned to look at the owner of the cough.

"Some quiet would be nice." Leah was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed and with an open housecoat over her pink pajama tank and shorts.

Seth ran over to her. "Lee...do you need anything?"

"No." Leah's voice was soft. She wrapped an arm around her brother's shoulders. Her hand gently rubbed his back.

Seth hugged her right back very gently but still a little tightly. "Okay...do you want to sit down Lee?" He rubbed her back as well and it soothe her nicely. The guys were still in their position. It was like they were frozen in time. They were so surprised to see her.

"No...I'm fine...and it's late. You should be in bed bro."

"Yes I know but these knuckleheads are keeping me up. Besides I just got in not too long ago." He enjoyed his sister's presence around him. In some ways, she was like his mother. She was the one who raised him anyway. So she did deserve that honor.

Leah looked over at Sam and Jake. "Not tonight."

Her voice was so soft and it was so angelic and sweet. It was music to the guys' ears, especially Jake. His wolf purred at her voice. Jake looked at her with soft eyes. His wolf purred again but at the sight of her. She was so beautiful' with her unruly sleep hair and her long legs showing off in those shorts. He pulled away from Sam and let him go. He did not even pay attention to him; he was too distracted to care. He walked over to Leah and grabbed her hands in his. "Lee...are you okay? Do you need or want anything?"

"No I'm okay. Just don't kill each other okay?" She pulled her hands away from him and went back upstairs with Seth behind her.

The others all stared at Jake and witnessed his actions. They were too stunned to move or say anything.

Paul was the first to break the silence and he rolled his eyes. "This is too fucked up."

Embry looked at Paul. "It's not fucked up...just weird."

"So you're saying you're _not_ creeped out by this?" Paul asked exasperately.

"No Paul. Look at us. Remember we turn into giant wolves at will. _We_ are the definition of weird. I'm not really surprised at what's happening." Embry responded.

Jake was still staring in the direction Leah left. He took a deep breath and inhaled her scent. His wolf purred at it and he had the sudden urge to go after her, but he kept himself back.

"What's her scent to you now Jake?" Quil asked curiously.

Jake closed his eyes and inhaled her scent again as it lingered in the air. "She smells so exotic; she has the scent of the sea breeze mixed with a hint of strawberries and pineapples. It's so alluring."

"What's your wolf doing now?" This time it was Embry who asked. He was actually amazed.

While his eyes were still closed he concentrated and answered. "My wolf is purring like a cat. My wolf loves it and it's madly responding to it. It wants me to get close to her, but I know she's not ready for that and neither am I. I still need to figure some stuff out."

"Wow!" Quil was amazed too and he looked at Jake in disbelief. It was like he saw Jake in a different light.

Jared was the most perceptive, observant, and smartest out of all of them. He took the time out to read the books on the Quileute legends and the phasing of the wolves. He got the books from the elders. He was surprised at this news too because he never encountered this type of situation in the books. "If it is your inner wolf and we're more animalistic when we phase, it's probably even worse then."

Jake finally opened his eyes and looked over at the guys. "I am not sure. I have phased with her close to me since my wolf became active, but I was not sure at the time. Remember when were we phased and patrolling and I instigated the race with her? It was only that one time."

Sam was so silent and was angry inside. He was angry at the situation with Leah and angry at Jacob. He won't admit it out loud but he was jealous. "Well...I for one will not tolerate any rash or aggressive behavior if or when the time comes and we're phased. Got it?"

Jake sucked his teeth at him. "Whatever Sam! I don't care about what you want or say. I don't have nothing but my instincts to follow."

Sam shook his head in defiance. "Just remember what I said." With that, he walked out the door and went home.

Paul raised an eyebrow at his alpha's sudden departure. He looked at his back in deep thought. He' decided he would take up his ideas with him later.

"Sam's got some serious issues he needs to work on." Quil announced. "It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out what's wrong with him though. It's quite obvious."

Jake scoffed. "I don't give a fuck what his problems are. As long as he does not stand in my way with Lee. That's all I care about...her. Sam is the least of my problems. Let him go ahead and sulk for all I care. He's always acting like he's so mighty, smart, and honorable, yet he has his imprint and still wants Leah. He wants Leah with no one else and only for himself. Oh please...Sam may be my brother and all and I do care about him, but I hope he does not get in my way. He needs to take all that overprotective crap and put it on his fiance and not on Leah. The same way he moved on is the same way Lean can too." Jake ended his tirade.

Embry and Quil shook their heads in agreement. They were very close to Jake and supported him no matter what.

"Well Jake just do what you got to do that's all. Sam will be alright. He just needs to come to terms with the fact that Leah will not be single and pining after him forever." Quil encouraged.

Typical Paul just had to add in his comment and ruin the whole peaceful atmospshere. "You mean she won't be single and pining after him for approximately three to four months."

Jake growled at him in annoyance. "Paul why do you have to ruin everything? For once in your stupid life don't say anything at all if you don't have anything good to say. Just this once. Damn!"

Paul continued with his comments anyway. He knew it was harsh but they had to face reality. "Well it's something we all have to face isn't it? Leah is _dying_; she will be dead soon. We need to make new patrol schedules, find somewhere for Seth to stay. There's a pretty long list."

Jake growled and again and was joined by Quil and Embry. "Why are you so fucking ignorant? Are you so happy that she's going to die that you want to start making preparations already? What the fuck is wrong with you? Don't you have a conscience? What if it was your imprint, my sister, in her position? You wouldn't be so fucking smug and heartless now would you? You would do everything in your power to help and save her." He began walking towards him as he continued to talk. "I am telling you to _shut the fuck up _about it. Leah is not going to die. We are going to help her as best as we can. We don't need you reminding us every fucking second." He was almost to Paul and every step he took, he became more angry. He can't stand Paul's attitude sometimes and he can be a real dick and now it's time to shut him up. He finally reached Paul and stood up in his face and growled at him. "Don't you dare mention her dying or keep throwing it in her face either or I promise you that you _will_ be sorry. That is not a threat; that is a fucking promise." He raised his hand and put it into a fist.

**AN: Yeah I know...another cliff hanger. What's going to happen to Paul? Will Jake punch his lights out or let him go? Don't forget to review guys. It does not have to be long. A simple comment like "good chapter" is fine. Please reivew. It really helps motivate me. PM me if you have any questions or comments too.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! Your weekly update is here. Don't forget what these symbols mean: **

**'Thoughts'**

**'Communication while phased'**

Jake raised his fist back then quickly moved it forward. He punched the wall to the left of Paul's head and there was a big hole in it. "Consider my promise or else your face will look like that wall." Jake said intensely and moved away.

Paul gulped, hung his head and then went over to the couch. Everyone sighed deeply, some dropped into seats. This day...It was too much. After a couple hours passed, everyone decided to go to their homes and left.

The next day Seth woke up to the delicious smell of bacon and bologna, cooked to perfection. He walked downstairs and saw Leah at the stove making breakfast. He walked up to her and leaned over her shoulder to see what she was making. In the process, he held her from the side and kissed her cheek. "Good morning Sis."

Leah gave him a small smile and flicked his nose playfully. "Morning Squirt." Even though her brother was almost 18 years old, he'll always be her little brother and she'll keep calling him squirt.

"Smells good in here Lee. What are you making?" He tried to peer down into the frying pan.

"Homemade egg sandwiches with bacon and bologna."

"Sounds delicious. Is it ready yet? I'm so hungry."

"Only a minute left. You came down just in time." Leah went quiet as she poured herself a cup of coffee and her brother a glass of orange juice. Then she tended to the sandwiches again. After a moment she finally spoke. "I saved you up a college fund...After mom spent yours."

While gathering the dishes and setting the table, he answered stunned. "What?"

"Mom had one for you, but she spent it on dad's funeral expenses so I started you a new one last year. I add to it every week."

Seth stopped what he was doing and paused to look at her. "Lee you did not have to do that. I would have done something. I appreciate you looking out for me, but I'm 17 and I have been thinking about looking for a job to help around here."

Leah immediately objected. "No...You're too young to have to work. Besides, there aren't any jobs to get. Just make sure you make it through high school okay?"

"Yes Lee I understand but I do want to help around here and kind of take some of the load off of you. Besides isn't 16 the legal age to work anyway? I'm a year older than that. I'm sure I can do something. Even if it's yard work for the neighbors or something. It _is _my desire to work. Is breakfast ready yet?" Seth wanted to help his sister. She already did so much for him. He really does not want her to be working so hard, especially since she was sick. She was still treating him like a baby, but for argument sake, he decided to let it slide for now.

"Yes it is." She scooped the three breakfast sandwiches onto a plate for him and brought it over. "I don't want a job getting in the way of your schoolwork...Or your pack business okay?"

Seth grumbled at her words and he did not want to upset her, so he agreed and dropped the subject. He took his plate from Leah and waited for her to sit down and eat with him. She gathered sandwiches on her plate and sat down in front of him. "Okay Lee...I understand. I will finish school and concentrate on pack business." He smiled at her, but of course it was fake.

Leah smiled weakly at him. "Good."

Seth ate all of his breakfast. Leah did not even finish one.

Seth left that alone too. He focused on other matters and he looked at her intensely. "Leah...Were you ever going to tell me?"

Leah looked across at him. "No. I was going to leave next month. Maybe leave a note that said I was running away. Then you could be mad enough not to ever look."

Seth sighed. "Why would you do that? Why would you do that to me? Do you have _any_ idea what that would have done to me? How much it would hurt me?"

"And you're not hurt now? You won't be hurt when I finally get too sick to get out of bed and when I end up at the Cullens and they tell you it's finally time to pull the plug?"

"Yes I am very hurt now. I'm hurt at the fact that you kept something like this from me...Something so important. If you left, you would've taken away my choice and the time I would have wanted to spend with you. That in itself is not fair. Leah...You're all I have left. Dad's gone and mom does not count because she's always under Charlie's ass to even notice us. If you left, I would've been alone. I know I would have the pack but they would not have been able to fill the void that only you can fill." Seth was as serious as a heart attack about the words he told her. Leah was the only person he had left and he'd be damned if he lost her sooner than he was supposed to.

Leah stood up and walked around the table to his side and placed her hands on his shoulders. "You've grown up so much you know that?" She chuckled softly. "I remember you used to get scared of the dark and you'd crawl in bed with me. I held you until you fell asleep. Now...Now you're almost two feet taller than me and almost a foot wider." She chuckled again.

Seth put his hands atop hers and chuckled too. "Yeah...You're a midget compared to me." He turned around to face her. "Leah...You're my only sister and I am here for you if you need me. I may be annoying and childish sometimes, but we've _always_ had each other all our lives. Don't let your condition push you away from me. Don't let my last memories of you be of you disappearing all the time and me panicking looking for you and all that shit. I love you Sis and you're the only one I've got. Don't take that away from me before it's time okay?"

Leah contemplated his requests for a while, then she gave him her usual calm, but small frail smile and kissed his cheek. "I love you too and you're going to be okay. I know it."

Seth sighed. "That was not the answer I was looking for, but I guess I'll take it for now. Don't make me become your shadow." He smirked at her.

Leah just chuckled in response. "That would be weird."

"I would like to talk to you about something else though."

Leah raised an eyebrow. "Shoot."

Seth took a deep breath and exhaled. He was not sure how she would respond to him about this subject. He was on Jake's side too so this would be tricky. "Jake told us what's going on with him..." He paused for a moment. "and you."

Leah shrugged. "Oh...The inner wolf stuff?"

"Yeah...I find it strange yet believable. Our wolf is apart of us so I'm not surprised by the news. However, I'm surprised by it's reaction to you." He raised an eyebrow also. It was almost like he was teasing her.

Leah sighed. "Jake just said something about the way I smell. Now he's growling all the time."

Seth chuckled. "Well...Jake has always been protective...Ever since we were kids."

She shrugged. "Yeah...I guess." Clearly, she was still not exactly sure how to feel about all of Jake's advances. Sure, she loved him, but the imprint was still in place and she _cannot_, _will not_ take the risk. Her heart would not be able to take another disappointment.

"He always had a crush on you too." Seth declared as he looked at her face to see her reaction.

Leah's eyes widened a little in surprise. "Hmmmm...No wonder he always picked on me." She sighed and washed out her mug.

Seth smirked. "Lee...It was so obvious." He paused in thought and chuckled as he remembered a couple of things. "Jake used to always drool or stutter when he saw you. He wanted to approached you about his feelings for a long time but he was not too sure about how you felt. Plus he teased you all the time so he thought you hated him."

Leah smirked weakly. "I never hated him. Sometimes I wondered if Sam was going to punch him, but no I never hated him."

Seth laughed. "Well...Believe it or not he was always intimidated by you. He felt you were too good for him you know? So he backed off. Then you started dating Sam. He was so upset about it, but he realized that was what you wanted at the time so decided not to pursue you."

Leah scoffed. "Wish he had."

"What?"

"Nothing." Leah sighed again. She seemed to be doing that alot lately. "If it was Jake instead of Sam, maybe I would've gotten at least another year of normalcy."

Seth raised an eyebrow at her. "What's that suppose to mean? You were so into Sam. You wouldn't have given Jake a chance or a second look...Or would you?" Seth asked curiously. This was news to his ears.

Leah shrugged a little. "I thought he was nice enough."

Her brother looked at her dead on and responded quickly. "That's not an answer. Be real and straight with me Lee."

"Look I loved Sam, but I thought about Jake."

"Really?" Seth could not help it, but he was skeptical.

She nodded. "I always considered him more of a friend, I guess. Sam was the one obviously, but yeah...I did consider Jake."

"Why didn't you say or do something?"

"Because I was a junior high kid and both he and Sam were in high school?"

Seth scoffed. "That did not stop you from dating Sam. Why did you pick Sam over Jake then? On second thought, don't answer. Let me guess...Sam made the first move?"

"Not just that Seth. Look...Sometimes I think you were too young to really remember what Sam and I's relationship was like. What he was like back then, even Jared, Paul, and Quil."

Seth sucked his teeth and scoffed. "Well enlighten me then because as far as I know...Jared's bipolar, Quil's overenthusiastic, and Paul's an asshole."

Leah sighed. "Seth...I don't want to go into detail over this."

"Fine...I will not ask for details but you've got to tell me soon okay? I have to ask you this though."

"What now?" She sighed. He was full of questions and conversation today.

"Now that Jake has told you how he's been feeling, how do you feel? Be honest Leah. I promise everything that was said here will be kept here so please answer me truthfully and think carefully before you answer."

"Seth...I don't know how to feel." She looked up at him. "And that's the truth. Part of me thinks he's being sincere...Part of me thinks we could give it a shot and then he'd go back to his imprint...Part of me thinks it's just because his inner wolf is picking up on my distress...Part of me thinks it wouldn't matter any which way because I'm dying...And a part of me says why not."

Seth sat in thought for a few moments. "Okay...forget about parts of you. What does your heart say? The bottom line is...you _do_ have feelings for him. Like I told you Jake has _always_ felt that way about you. You should've seen the way he was acting when you were upstairs."

"He should stop."

"Well from what I've seen, he's determined. He's not going to let it go...Not again. He did once when we were younger and he won't make the same mistake again." Seth walked over to Leah, took her left hand in his, and looked at her nicely. "He cares about you Lee..._very_ much. I believe him when he says so. You can't let your fear stop you from taking chances. Life is about taking chances, whether it is long or short. It is better to have find out than to wonder "What if?" It does nothing but cause you angst and misery. Remember that. We are going to do everything in our power to help you." With that said, he kissed her on the forehead and went upstairs to change and get ready for patrol.

Leah sighed deeply. She knew her brother was right. She made up her mind to sleep on it later. She cleaned up the kitchen, throwing the remains of her breakfast in the trash and then headed upstairs herself.

Meanwhile at Sam and Emily's place, Sam was getting ready for patrol and Emily was doing what she did best and every single day: baking...And more baking. Hell Emily refused to fuck Sam last night because she was scared she would get carried away and let her muffins burn.

Sam was being unusually quiet. His mood was strange; he was hardly saying anything. He was snappy and Emily just did not know what was wrong.

Emily turned to face him while she stirred more muffin mix with a wooden spoon in a bowl in her arms, flour was dusting her white apron. "Sam...What's up with you lately? Sweetheart this is so unlike you."

Sam wondered if he should tell her anything yet. "I just have alot on my mind that's all."

"Like what?"

"Stuff...Pack stuff."

"Like?" Emily prompted. Sometimes she nagged and nagged.

Sam looked at her; he was starting to get annoyed. She refused to give him any last night and now she was nagging at him. Didn't she see he did not want to talk about it? "Well...It's been a little quiet lately. I'm thinking of giving the guys a little time off. Maybe...I'm not sure yet."

"That's all? Stuff like that has never had you so depressed-looking before Sam. So please darling...Tell me the truth." Emily was truly concerned. Her imprinter was sad and she wanted to help him.

Sam sighed. Emily would not stop asking so he decided he might as well just tell her. "I found out some disturbing and interesting news yesterday."

Emily tilted her head. "And that was?"

He was not sure how Emily will take the news of Leah being sick. She was going to be devastated. "I don't know how to say this but Leah is sick...Very sick."

Emily nodded. "Her heart I know."

Sam turned to her so fast that her head almost span. "What do you mean you know? What are you talking about?"

"She's terminal isn't she?" Emily turned her back to the counter and poured the smooth muffin batter into paper cups. "I found out last month."

Sam shook his head in disbelief. "What? You found out when? Why didn't you tell me?"

Emily shrugged. "I didn't think it was our major concern. I mean the girl hasn't even told Aunt Sue yet."

Sam recovered from his look of disbelief and looked annoyed and upset at what she just said. "What's that supposed to mean? Of course it is. She's your cousin and she's...anyway...how did you find out?"

"I was walking home from the market with Kim, Rachel, and Claire. Claire saw Leah on the beach and took off to go see her so I went to get her back. Leah did not look happy so I just persuaded her into telling me what was wrong."

Sam was stunned. "She actually told you and you did not even think it was necessary to tell me? Why?"

Emily shrugged. "I assumed she'd tell people when she's ready. It was none of your business."

"Of course it is. You would have wanted to know if I found out first. Why are you acting so nonchalant about this?" He could not believe her behavior. He was shocked at her attitude.

Emily raised an eyebrow. "I'm not Sam. People die; it's a natural part of life. I know you guys and Leah are _supernatural_, but Leah's not supposed to exist; there are probably flaws in her design and that's why she's sick."

Sam looked at her in exasperation and shock. 'What the hell?' He could not believe she just said that. He was staring at her like she grew two heads. He was starting to get pissed off with her attitude. "What the hell are you talking about Emily? Of course she was supposed to exist, that's why she was born. How could you say something like that? This is Leah we're talking about not some stranger we barely know."

Emily looked taken aback. "I...I know Sam, but there's nothing we can do! I'll bake her some muffins, offer our condolences and so on. It's a shame she won't make it to the wedding, but that's life."

Sam was really pissed now. Emily had some nerve. "_Our wedding_? We're talking about Leah dying and all you can think about is the wedding? No...this is not like you. Do you even know when she found out?" He started to raise her voice as he spoke. "She found out when I left her...When I left her for you. When she needed me the most, I left her. Can you believe that? You were once close to her too. We both left her alone, sick, and _dying_!" He shouted the last word. He was furious. 'How could she be so calm about this? Like Leah does not matter.' All of those thoughts went through Sam's mind at that moment.

Emily's chin started to quiver, her eyes watered as he raised his voice. "I know we did! But we did not know back then and besides, it would've only prolonged us having to sneak around behind her back if you'd stayed to see her through her illness. Nearly two weeks of you sneaking me out at night was enough frankly."

"I don't care. She needed me Emily and we left her." He lowered his voice and said softly. "What kind of man does that? What kind of man leaves the woman he loves in her time of need? I feel so bad. I..." He trailed off and then looked at her in disappointment. "Your attitude right now is not helping either. Leah...She..." He trailed off again.

"She what?"

"She's going to be dead in a couple of month. She has a maximum of four months and all you can think about is yourself. This is not like you. Why are you acting so selfish Emily?" Sam asked her. He was so surprised at her actions and her words. This was a totally different Emily or maybe she was always there but was hidden.

"Sam I'm not!" She looked surprised and taken aback by his words. "What do you expect me to do? I don't know how we can help her, Sam, so we should just try to avoid the topic! Besides I don't think she wants anyone's help...Not with the way she's been acting."

"It doesn't matter. First of all, you could at least act a little more sympathetic. You sound so damn selfish right now...Like you don't even care. Can you blame her for how she's been acting? We don't treat her very well. Notice I used the present tense and not the past. We _don't_!" He shouted.

"And she brought all that down on _herself_." Emily screamed right back.

"_How dare you say that_? How dare you stand there and say that to me? What is wrong with you? I have never seen you so fucking selfish. _WE_ drove her to it. _WE_ acted like we did not care about her! It's partly _our_ fault why she's like that. I don't care what you say!" He lowered his voice and softly said. I love you Emily. You're my imprint. But...I loved her first. She was my everything."

Emily's bottom lip quivered as her eyes began to tear up.

Sam continued speaking. "Before I turned into a wolf, she was everything to me. She still means alot to me. I love her; always have and always will. She will always have a special place in my heart. For you to stand there and act like that? It's disgusting. I can't stand to look at you right now. You're my imprint and I'm yours and you are the most important person to me, but Leah needs us right now...needs me since you're acting so stupid. The wedding is postponed until further notice. I'm going on patrol and don't wait up. Love you!" He began to walk out when her voice stopped him.

"But...But your heart should be mine. Like mine is yours! I can't share it with her!"

"Emily...My soul is yours and also my heart, but Leah will always have a special part of it no matter what. I am with you and I'll never leave you. I can't leave you anyway because of the imprint. Note to yourself and remember this: if it wasn't for the imprint,_ I would be with her_." He said that in a voice of authority to show he meant it. His alpha voice was what she heard.

Emily's jaw dropped. It was really as if she never considered that. Like as soon as she came to La Push to visit her cousin, her cousin's fiancé would be hers. She threw the dishtowel and it smacked Sam in the chest. "Sleep on the couch."

Sam's reply stunned her even more and she was not expecting it. "I would gladly do that. As a matter of fact, I won't be coming home later. Goodbye!" He walked out the door without a second glance back.

Emily was so flabbergasted that she did not know what to do. She left the batter and everything else in the kitchen alone and went to her bedroom and stayed there the rest of the night.

That same night after doing patrols on their regular trails, the two packs met in their usual meadow where they would phase or chill. They could phase and be unnoticed and they loved the privacy. The white wolf walked over and settled down in her usual patch of grass, where some of the moonlight filtered through the cover of trees and made her snowy fur glitter. Everyone was at patrol except Leah and Jake. At least they thought Leah was home until they saw her sauntering over to them. Jake was at the Cullens spending time with Nessie, but he was supposed to meet them in the meadow. Seth begged Leah to stay home and rest, but she was too stubborn to listen.

'Lee!' Seth whined. 'I thought I begged you to stay home and get some rest?'

Leah raised her head and looked at him. 'I've slept enough."

Seth took a deep breath through his nostrils and whined softly. He knew if he continued, she would just get upset. 'Okay Sis.' He walked up to her and nuzzled her snout. 'I'm happy to see you though.'

Leah stuck out her small tongue and flicked it over her brother's ears in a sign of affection. 'Glad to know.'

Paul flopped down on his side. 'Is it just me or are our trails getting longer every time we run them?'

Embry flopped down too. 'Yeah...It seems like we ran extra far today. What's going on Sam? You sort of pushed us extra hard today.'

Sam tensed when he saw Leah and just tensed altogether. He sighed. 'Nothing. I just thought we should do a little exercise today. These days have been easy and quiet. I don't want us to get lazy.'

Leah rolled her eyes and laid her head down on her paws. There was a small burn in her chest. It felt close to a heartburn. Whenever she phased, that what would happen. Sam was looking at her and he saw that she was in distress. 'Leah are you alright?' Everyone turned and looked at her.

'I'm fine; it burns sometimes now to phase.'

Sam walked over to her and sat next to her on the right. Seth looked at him abruptly from Leah's left and did a very low snarl so only he could hear. 'It's alright Seth. I just want to talk.'

Seth stopped his snarling and went back to laying down next to his sister's left side. He's very close to her and would occasionally give Sam a look or two.

Sam turned to Leah. 'Where does it burn?' He asked in concern.

'In my chest. She laid down more on her side so more of her weight was supported that way instead of on her chest.

'For how long has this been hurting?' He took his left front paw and ran it softly and smoothly across her side. He did not know what came over him right then but he wanted to help her. 'Are you sure you want to continue phasing?'

Leah tried to ignore how Sam was touching her. It was a good thing Jake was not there. 'I'm sure. I'm not spending my last months cooped up in the house.'

Sam continued touching her and he could not believe she was letting him get away with it. Leah has not bitten his paw off yet. He hoped Seth did not notice. He peeked at him and saw that his eyes were closed and then he turned back to Leah. 'I understand, but you should try to preserve your energy.'

'Don't worry your black little heart, Sam.'

'My black little heart?' He scoffed. 'Of course I'll worry. It's only natural to worry. I can't...' He trailed off. Now was not the time. When it was time to go home, he decided he would follow her to talk to her privately. He hid his thoughts from the others. 'Okay...Just be careful that's all.' He walked over to Paul and Jared.

Paul was being his usual self spoke to him first. 'Dude...You touched her and she did not trip at you.'

'Yeah I know.' He sighed again for the third time that day.

Jared was the next one to speak. 'Why aren't you acting like it's not a good thing? You wanted your friendship back, didn't you?'

Sam realized where the conversation would go so he phased out and Paul and Jared did the same. They took their pants that were tied around their ankles and pulled them on. They walked over to another set of tress that were a good distance from the other but they could still see them clearly. Sam finally answered Jared's questions. "Yes I do, but not like this. It should not take her being sick for this to happen. Guys...this is just wrong. I feel so conflicted."

"Conflicted about what?" Paul asked.

"I don't know if I should tell you guys, especially you Paul. You're a real ass sometimes and you are so quick to trash her. It's like you forgot we were all friends once upon a time. You forgot how much she meant to me at one time." He sucked his teeth and looked in her direction.

Leah was still laying down and her eyes were closed.

Paul rolled his eyes, but deep down he knew Sam was right, but he chose to ignore it. "For fucks sake Sam, just tell me."

Sam looked at Jared. "Do you see what I mean? Paul is so..Ugh...I can't even find the words."

"Yeah I know. Just tell me then." Jared encouraged.

Sam inhaled deeply. "Emily and I had a huge fight last night and afterwards I left and wandered around in wolf form and slept outside. She made me so angry; I could not stand to see her at the time."

Paul and Jared looked at Sam in shock.

Paul was the first to recover. "You actually _fought_? Like screamed? How is that even possible?"

"Yeah I know. Even I was surprised. Guys...you should've seen and heard her. Did you know she knew about Leah's illness for a whole month and did not tell me? She hid it from me and acted like it was nothing." Sam spoke in exasperation. It was like he was reliving the night before.

Jared was confused and skeptical. "That doesn't sound like Emily."

"Yeah well it was her alright. I saw her with my own two eyes. She was so casual about it...Like it was nothing...Like Leah is nothing. I told her Leah found out just after I left her and she was not even fazed by that. She was not even sorry or sympathetic; she blew it off. You would not even believe what she said too."

"What's she say?" Jared prompted.

"She said Leah was not meant ot exist...You know being that she is the first female wolf in history. She also said maybe that's why Leah's sick. It wasn't meant for her to be here...alive...or even born. She also said that Leah's behavior is her own fault and she brought her sickness on herself and that there is nothing we can do and it's none of our business or concern." He started to growl. "She had the audacity to say that she's sorry Leah would not be here for the wedding, but life goes on. She was so fucking nonchalant about the whole thing."

"Sam...Are you sure you're not overreacting? Em doesn't seem like the type to mean those things and she and Leah were best friends before you met." Paul reminded him.

"I know Paul, but I would never make up any of this stuff. You know how much Emily means to me. I wouldn't have slept outside if she did not do or say something drastic."

"I understand what you mean. But either way...You can't make Emily care. Maybe she just doesn't. It's not Leah is nice to her." Jared said.

"Can you blame her? We have not treated her very well. We abandoned her when she needed us the most, needed me. Leah knew about this for a whole year. How do you think that makes me feel? How do you think that makes her feel? She has no one; her dad is dead, Sue is always with Charlie. I mean all she has is Seth. I feel so fucked up."

Paul sighed. "Look this comes back to what I said last night. You're upset now, but when Leah's gone, your mind will unconsciously make up reasons for you to not be upset over her anymore. This is a temporary thing."

Sam growled at him. "Do you even hear yourself when you talk? What the fuck is wrong with you? Why do you have to act like that? You're acting just like Emily is. Ugh...Why are you even my fucking friend? You're an idiot most of the time." He stalked away from them but Jared followed him.

"Don't listen to Paul, Sam. Look...The situation you're in really sucks, but all you can now is try to make the best of the last few months count and make them easier on her too."

"I know, Jared, but I had to put Emily in her place too. I couldn't believe I said it, but I had to. I realized I should've said it a long time ago too."

"I get you being mad and all, but is causing trouble in the relationship you have now really the best thing to do the help your mental well-being?"

"I don't look at it as causing trouble; I look at it as telling her the truth. I told her some things that I needed to get off my chest. I've kept it from you because it was my secret to bear. Now I just don't care anymore; Emily doesn't. So why should I?"

Paul walked over to the two when he thought Sam calmed down from his anger at him.

Sam looked over at Paul. "I should not even tell you anything; you're a bad friend. Why should I tell you? You'll just downplay everything anyway. If you as so much as say anything stupid, I swear I won't hesitate to hurt you. I mean it Paul. Is that clear?"

"Ok Sam damn."

"I told Emily how much Leah meant to me back then; she had no clue how close Leah and I were. She just assumed the imprint wiped out everything. I corrected her and told her Leah was everything to me: my life, my breath, the whole world. Then I became a wolf and started keeping things from her, fearful that she would reject me. When I first phased, Emily came to visit. I did not even know what imprinting was yet; just my reaction to Emily." He paused to make sure they were still following him.

Jared and Paul nodded, listening.

Sam continued. "Emily and I would sneak around and we sneaked around for two weeks. I felt so guilty inside. When I found out why I felt for Emily like that, I knew I had to break things off with Leah. I felt it was something I must do; I did not even try to fight it. I figured since my life was already made for me, just take it. However, I still loved Leah. I told Emily that I still do; that Leah will always be a part of my heart. I made it known that if it wasn't for the imprint, Leah and I would still be together now. I had to remind her of that and let her face some truths."

"But she's going to stay with you right?" Jared asked.

"She's upset, but yes she will. I just gave her some things to think about. As much as she's my imprint, I'm a part of her as she is to me. We'll always be drawn to each other. She just needed to think and she shouldn't have acted like that. Leah will always be a part of me even though I imprinted. The imprint did not erase all of my feelings for her either. That's why it's been hard for me lately. Finding out about her being sick, the length of time from when she first found out, to us finding out now. Plus Jacob..." He trailed off.

"What about Jake?" Paul asked.

"Now Jacob wants her and I can't help but feel funny about it."

"It's called jealousy dude and it's natural. I can't really remember how "normal" relationships works anymore." Jared declared.

Sam chuckled. "I know. It's just hard seeing her with anybody else. I know it's not fair of me to say that but I had her first. If it wasn't for the imprint I would be with her. Sometimes I wonder...we love our imprinted because of the imprint. We don't imprint because we love them. Have you guys ever though of that?"

Jared shrugged. "I just don't think to change anything. I mean...People like Leah and everyone else outside of us have to work for love and shit their whole lives. We have it already; we're lucky fucks."

"Yeah but it takes away our choice to love who we want to love. Have you ever thought about that? I'm sure there were girls you guys were interested in before you imprinted."

"I think so; I can't really remember though." Jared said.

"What about you Paul?"

"Not really. Think about it...If Leah wasn't around, would you remember her?"

Sam did not hesitate in answering. "Of course I would. I say that because of how much Leah and I meant to each other. We were so close; I would not have forgotten...Ever. I even have a wallet size picture of us together. I have it hidden; Emily does not know."

Jared sighed. "I see what you mean Sam, but you don't know that for sure. I mean I have pictures of me with friends we used to have in high school before we phased. I can't even remember them; we don't bother to go out."

"Like I said...I had a serious relationship with Leah; a very serious one. I just can't forget that because she meant too much to me. I won't ever forget. Leah was my first love, my first everything. Don't get me wrong...I love Emily. She's my soul, but Leah is like gravity. She keeps me grounded. How can I forget someone like that? However, the reality is, I am not with her, but I will never forget her. Leah does not even know."

"See I don't know about that. I really think she does know. I'm pretty sure she does know she won't get back together with you Sam." Jared said.

"That's not what I meant. Leah thinks I don't care about her at all. Don't you get it? I left her all alone to deal with her sickness, to take care of Seth _and_ herself. She has _no_ idea that I still care and love her. No idea at all." Sam was emotional and he really did feel bad. He loves Leah like he did before, but he loves Emily too. In addition, she his imprintee.

This time it was Paul who spoke up. "Once again I think you're wrong. I think she does care. Shit I know she does, but I don't think she likes it. But then again, it's me."

"Exactly...It's Paul. Don't listen to him."

"Sam smiled weakly at Jared. "Well Leah does not think so. She believes we hate her, especially me. I have not been the nicest person around. I did not even attempt to be her friend. Now that she's dying, I think it's time I tell her the truth. She deserves that much form me."

Paul and Jared shrugged.

"Do what you gotta do man." Paul said and then he and Jared went over to the others.

About half an hour later, Leah phased back and began the walk towards the beach, but not before everyone separated and went home. Sam said his goodbyes to the guys while Leah told Seth she was going to the cliffs. Sam followed Leah and met her by the cliffs. Her back was to him, but he knew she could smell him.

He walked over to her, put his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her around to face him.

**That's it for this chapter guys. I wonder what Leah's reaction will be and how the conversation will go. A hint for the next chapter: someone will find them and that person will be pissed when she/he does. Can you guess who? Tell me in your review and I'll give you the answer. **


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: I would like to give a HUGE shout out to MidnightStarr! She's my beta and she is wonderful and very smart. Without her, my story would not be possible. She has amazing talent and she's so good at what she does. Every chapter gets better because of her. MidnightStarr this chapter is for you!**

'**Thoughts'**

Leah was not surprised when she came face to face with Sam. All she did was look at him briefly and then turned her head. She was so tired of all of this and she did not feel like talking.

Sam however, turned her face back to his and he stared into her pretty blue eyes. He wasted no time in talking. He wanted, no he _needed _answers and he was going to get them. "So…You told Emily about you being sick and not us…Not me?"

Leah shrugged his hands off her shoulders and went and sat down on the edge of the cliffs. "Your fiancé had a reason to know…A good one."

Sam went over and sat down next to her on the right. "Why? Why her first Leah?"

"Just because."

"Because what?" Sam prompted.

"Because it's not all-important that you know every goddamned little thing, Sam. Why are you taking such stupid offense to this?" Leah asked frustratingly.

"What do you mean? I want to know. Why would you tell Emily and not me? Since when do you keep things from me?"

Leah laughed bitterly. "I have now for a long, long time ever since you left. I've kept shit from everyone. Sometimes it's nice to have something to yourself when my mind's so fucking full of all of you twenty-fours hours a day."

Sam shook his head in agreement. "Yeah…You're right I'll give you that. But I am asking you to please tell me why. I find it strange you would tell _her_ of all people before any of us, including Seth." He looked at her and sighed. "Please Leah…Tell me."

Leah sighed before responding. "For her own satisfaction." She was then silent for a minute. "There's so much you don't know about her."

"Like what?"

Leah looked over at him. "I can't tell you…I won't. I just hope in time you'll find out yourself. Then you can make the right decision." With that, she stood up and got ready to walk away.

Sam grabbed her hand and stopped her. "Wait…I need to talk to you. Please don't go yet."

Leah sighed and tried to ignore the shiver at the closeness that runs through the both of them. She reluctantly sat back down, letting her legs hang over the cliff's edge.

Once she was settle back down next to him, he began to speak. "Leah…There are some things I need to tell you. You deserve to know the truth about what happened…From the very beginning. You deserve that much. Are you ready to listen? Please…Just listen."

Leah sighed deeply. Sighing seemed to be the best thing she could do at the moment. She looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here. "Just talk Sam."

Sam inhaled deeply. He was not sure how she would take what he had to say, but he _needed_ to say it. "Leah…I loved you with everything I had when we were together. You were my whole world. Then I phased for the first time and I disappeared. I was so scared and frightened; I did not know what to do."

"I know. I waited for you. Everyday." Leah confirmed.

"I was afraid to tell you, thinking you might reject me, what I am, and what I became. I was so scared; I loved you too much to let you leave me."

"Yet you left me." Leah scoffed. "Life's funny isn't it?"

"I know Lee." He got so sad. "It was not my fault. I never wanted to leave you…_Ever_. You were my world. I could not have imagined my life without you. I came back after I disappeared and things were not the same. I still loved you though and keeping who I was and what I became from you were killing me. I did not know how to tell you. With time, things were slowly getting back to normal. You told me about your cousin and how she was coming to visit you and you wanted us to meet. She meant a lot to you and it was important to you for us to meet and get to know each other. Emily came and I…" He gulped. "I imprinted on her. I did not know what to do. All of these feelings came rushing at me at once. I panicked. I ran to the elders, including your father. You see…This is why he did not want us to be together in the first place, especially when he found out I was a wolf and did not imprint on you at first moment's glance."

"Yet, he still did not tell me like you didn't." Leah looked at him. "You do realize that no matter what you say to me, no matter that my dad is dead, I can't forgive you…Or him."

"Leah…I could not have told you. I was sworn to secrecy by the elders. I could not disobey them; it was out of my hands. I did not have a choice but to listen to them. I wanted to tell you so bad, but I was so conflicted."

"You proposed to me. You asked me to marry you, wanted to spend the rest of your life with me. Yet you let those old fucks tell you what to do…Over me. Dad chose tradition over his own daughter, Sue chose Emily over her own daughter. Needless to say, I was kind of used to getting put on the backburner by now."

Sam looked at her intensely. "Stop that. I meant every single one of my promises. It's just that the feelings from the imprint gave me a hard time. They still do. I was told that imprinting means finding your soul mate, the one who was made for you. It explained why I was having these feelings for Emily so suddenly. Since Emily is my imprint and based on imprinting, I was told it was okay for her to know the truth…The truth about what I was. She was going to be in my life anyway so I had to tell her. Emily felt the pull too. It was not entirely her fault either. It was an instant connection."

Leah scoffed again. "Don't come here asking for forgiveness. You will never, ever get it and neither will she or Harry or Sue or _any_ of you."

"I am not going to ask you for that. I'll let you come up with that on your own. I just want you to know the truth."

"Sam…I know the details."

"You think you know but you don't know everything."

"You can't force how many times you've forced them into my head through yours. You never will."

"Yeah…But you don't know how hard I've been trying to hide my feelings for you though. Emily told me some things last night. She told me some means things and I had to set her straight. I came to some realizations recently. Some of them were always there but I came up with more." He made up his mind to tell her everything.

Leah sighed. "What did she tell you?"

Sam took her hand, stood up, and pulled her up to stand too. "She told me how it was meant for you to die. You were never meant to exist because of you being the only female wolf in history and all. She was nonchalant about everything. She had the audacity to say she was sorry you would not be able to make it for the wedding. Can you believe that? I _had_ to set her straight."

As Sam was talking, Leah looked thoughtful…Weary. "So now it starts." She looked back out at the water.

"Yeah…She was pretty mean. I never thought she could be like that. I was so stunned and surprised at her behavior. I thought she cared about you like you did her. She caught me off guard…Big time. Would you like to know what I told her?" He was still holding her hand. He took advantage of that and he began to stroke it lightly.

"To be honest…I don't care."

"I don't care if you don't but I'm going to tell you anyway."

"Like I said, nothing you say can change this…Nothing you do either."

Sam ignored her and grabbed her other hand and looked deep into her pretty blue eyes. "I told her that I still love you. If it wasn't for the imprint, we would still be together, probably married by now. I also said that she has my soul and my heart but not all of it. She will _never_ have all." He took his left hand and started to stroke her left cheek. " I still love you Leah…Always have and I always will." He exhaled a large amount of air that he did not know he was holding. He was finally glad to get that off his chest.

"Let go before your hand starts to hurt." She gave him a small smile.

"No…listen to me. I love you. Even though Emily's my imprint and I can't leave her, that will _never_ stop the love I have for you. I know we can't be together but I just wanted to let you know you will _always_ have a place in my heart." Sam felt very good at that moment. He confessed everything and Leah did not rebuff him.

Meanwhile Jake left the Cullens and was on his way to look for Leah. He stopped by her house and saw Seth and asked for her. Seth told him she was by the cliffs so Jake set off to find her.

Sam was still stroking her cheek and looking for a reaction. "I just wanted to let you know. You meant a lot to me then and you mean a lot to me now."

Leah shook her head. "You know…You always did have a strange way of making me feel better…but this doesn't at all." She pulled her hands out of his and walked backwards away from him. "It just hurts more."

Sam was persistent and he walked towards her. "I know…It hurts me too."

Jake was heading towards the cliffs and he caught Leah's scent. The wolf in him was purring and howling at it. It missed her very much. He had this urge to see her since he was by the Cullens. He sniffed the air and all of a sudden, his body went rigid. 'She is not alone.' He sniffed the air again. 'Sam!' Jake growled and he headed toward the cliffs faster.

"Leah…Leelee…I am glad you did not run away from me. I felt I needed to tell you the truth about everything. I am not going to beg your forgiveness." He kept walking towards her until he was directly in front of her. "I'll leave you to decide that. Just know that I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. I will try my best to help you. We may not be together, but I'll support you as your friend but before you go, I must do this." He cupped her cheeks in his hands and he kissed her. Just as he kissed her, Jake walked onto the scene.

Leah's lips did not move against his. Inside she wanted to, but she won't. It was for their own goods.

Jake was in shock by what he saw before his eyes. Leah was just standing there while Sam kissed her. His wolf was pissed. "What the fuck is going on here?" He shouted before he walked up to them. They broke apart when they heard the thunderous voice. When Jake reached them, he pulled Leah away from Sam and placed her behind him.

Leah's blood rushed through her body quickly when she heard that loud, scary, but sexy voice. Even though her heart was weak, it pumped strongly and quickly to Jake's presence. "Jake…Enough."

Jake did not even start anything and Leah was already trying to calm him down. She knew how Jake worked and she could tell he was pissed. He pushed Leah back behind him further as he got in Sam's face. "What do you think you're doing?" His wolf was growling so loud. Jake wanted to snap Sam's head off. "Who the fuck do you think you are? You have no right to kiss her, let alone touch her."

Sam did not back down though. "What the fuck is your problem? I was just talking to her."

"It did not look like talking to me. Don't you _ever_ fucking touch her again. You have your precious Emily." Jake is seething inside. 'How dare he touch her like that? Only I am to touch her like that.'

"Don't tell me what to fucking do. Leah was mine first and I don't give a fuck what you say." Sam was livid as well. 'Jacob thinks he could get anything he wants at anytime. He was wrong about this one though. He will not get Leah.'

"Yeah well your wolf does not want her. _My_ wolf does. Stay the fuck _away_ from her. I mean it." Jake warned.

Sam was not backing down. "Yeah and what? What are you going to do about it?"

Jake was so pissed; his wolf was snarling viciously. He wanted to claim Leah right there and now and then bite Sam's head off afterwards. "Sam…I am warning you. Leah is off limits to you. If you don't back off, I won't hesitate to rip your head off your shoulders."

Leah slowly stepped forward, around Jake and in between the two feuding brothers. With a hand on each chest, she spoke. "You're both fighting over what is not and will never be yours. Focus on what you do have instead."

Without looking at her, Jake responded to her words with confidence and a strong voice. "I do _have_ you. You're just scared. As for Sam, he has his precious Emily…Don't you Sam? Go back to your deformed looking fiancé and leave Leah the hell alone. If I catch you sniffing around her like that again, I won't think twice to take you out. You know _I'm_ stronger and better than you. Remember that!" Jake said warningly. That was not a threat but a warning he did intend to keep.

"Don't call Emily that. At least she's not some half demon spawn." He looked back at Leah. "Remember what I told you okay?" He tried to touch her hand, but Jake blocked her from him. He growled in frustration and anger. He turned around to go home but not before he said one more thing. "I am here if you need me."

"She does _not_ need you." Jake declared.

Sam ignored him and left to go home. Jake then turned to look at Leah. He was angry. 'How dare she let another man touch her, let alone kiss her.' He snarled softly and spoke lowly. "What was that Lee?"

"What you saw it was." She turned and began to walk back home.

Jake was adamant about talking to her. He was not going to end his night like this. 'Oh hell no! She is not getting away this time.' He stopped her and turned her around to face him. "Leah…I'm serious."

She looked up at him and began to tremble. "Let me guess…You just came from seeing her?"

"Yes but I missed you…So damn much. I was with her, but all I could think about was you…Your beautiful face, your scent, your personality, your body, everything about you. I had to get away to come find you. Instead of finding you alone, I find you with him." He growled again. He then took her in his arms and hugged her close and held her tight.

Leah sighed. She knew she missed him too, but did not dare say it out loud. She felt so good in his arms…So safe and content. It was so different from Sam's. "How could you want this for me?"

Jake felt Renesmee's pull, but he ignored it. This was about Leah now. "Want what?"

"Me waiting for you when you come home from her place. For me to be your second while you waste more and more time trying to figure out what's right and what's wrong and then ending up with her again. You want both; you can _only have _one."

Jake sighed. "You're right. I can only have one. Lee…I don't know how or when, but my instincts, my wolf are telling me it's you. However, this imprint pull is still there. I want to break it and I know I have to find a way, but I don't know how. Believe me when I say this: I could only think of you while I was over there. I go there to lessen the pain. I do care about her, but my romantic feelings are for you. I have had these feelings for you for so long and now that my wolf agrees, they have intensified. I just can't put a name on it yet. I need a little more time." He cupped her cheeks in both hands and stroked them. "I give you my word, I will figure this out. I just need you to believe in me. Haven't you noticed my behavior lately?"

"I have, but…I can't." She shook her head. Jake was asking for a lot. She was so scared and she knew if she took the chance and he broke her heart, she would not survive. "I'm sorry Jake, but I can't believe in you…And you don't have much time, Jake."

His grip on her cheeks tightened. "You can't or you won't? I need your faith in me. I need to know what I am striving for is behind me…Waiting and hoping. That alone gives me more confidence and strength to fight. My will to fight will be even stronger knowing you are there behind me." He leaned a little closer to her face. Their faces were only an inch apart.

Leah's heart rate increased even more; her heart was pumping so fast and hard. This was not from her sickness but from the effect that Jake had on her.

Jake lowered his voice when he spoke. It was so smooth and sexy and it drove Leah wild inside. "Please Lee…Baby…I am begging you. I have _never_ begged for anything in my entire life…Please." After that plea was said and Jake looked at her face, he was under a spell from her beauty. He could not help himself. He closed the little gap between them and he kissed her so tenderly and lovingly like he never kissed anyone before. This time, Leah kissed back. It was only a few seconds when the imprint pull started to throb and Jake's chest constricted and he broke off the kiss trying to breathe and catch his breath.

When Leah saw Jake in pain, it caused her own heart to throb as well. She took a deep breath. "I'm going home." She shook her head while she tried to fight back the tears in her eyes. She turned on her heels and walked quickly in the direction of her home. 'How could he fucking want this? I am so not worth it.' Those were the thoughts running through her head as she walked.

What Leah forgot was that Jake was very persistent. He ran after her and tried one more time. He stopped her and turned her around quickly, held her arms at her sides. His wolf was purring at her…At her scent, their closeness. "Lee…Please wait. Can't you hear that? Hear my wolf? Hear how it's reacting to you?" He then started to growl softly and howl lovingly. "Listen to it Lee…Feel it. I know you feel it too or else you would not have kissed me back. Stop running away from me. Just this once…Stop running."

"No…You're hurting."

He stroked up and down her arms with his hands. "I'm hurting yes but it's a good hurt. Before you go, please listen again." 'How will I say this? I want her so much. I don't want to scare her. I really need to figure this thing out soon.' I give you my word. I _will _figure this out very soon and when I do, I'll be yours and you will definitely be mine. I will do what Sam never tried to do…I will_ fight_ this imprint. You know why? Because you _are_ _worth it_. I will not make the same mistake I did when we were younger. I have a chance now and I am not going to lose it. I give you my word. Notice I do not use the word _promise_. That's Sam's lousy ass job. I am _not_ him and I will prove it." He kissed her again and it was so sweet and his wolf was so happy. He then pulled away and put his face between her neck and shoulder and inhaled deeply. "You smell so good…Like the sea breeze with a mixture of strawberries and pineapples. It's so exotic." He left his head there for a little while and just smelled her. He found that when he smelled her, some of the ache went away.

Leah froze up at first. She was slightly taken aback and beyond confused. That was unexpected and yet it felt nice. Her feelings for Jake were so strong, but the timing was so wrong.

Jake finally pulled away, gave her one last kiss on the cheek then turned around and went home.

Leah stood there and watched his retreating back. She was speechless and confused. She was not sure what to do. Her fear of being hurt again was preventing her from believing in Jake. After a few minutes passed by, she went home.

Leah got home to find Seth on the couch waiting for her.

"Hey Lee." He stood up to go over to her but stopped when he saw the expression on her face. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Sam kissed me."

Seth tensed. "He did what?" His voice was low and deep. He did not like that news.

Leah nodded. "Yeah." She sat down at the table. "Then Jake showed up and there was all this stupid drama and then _he _kissed me."

"Jake kissed you too?" Seth took a deep breath and exhaled. "Okay…Start at the beginning."

"Sam said he still loves me but just can't be with me. I already knew that , but he's convinced I didn't. Then he kissed me…I'm pretty sure most of it was just to make himself feel better. It didn't help though, knowing he's as miserable as I am that we can't be together makes me want to shoot myself. Then there was Jake and he made it really clear to Sam that he shouldn't be around me and when Sam finally left, Jake was sort of mad at me because I let Sam kiss me. He tried to make it seem like we were already together or something, but we're not. When Jake and I were kissing, I could tell it was starting to hurt. I told him I couldn't wait for long and that I wouldn't be the girl he runs to as a second choice. He said he needs me to _believe_ in him and that he'll break the imprint or something." She sighed deeply. "This whole thing is just so fucked up."

After Leah was done, Seth was quiet. He was stunned and had an incredulous look on his face. "Wow!" His face then turned to disgust. "What the fuck is Sam doing kissing you anyway? He has damn right to do that. He's just feeling sorry for himself you know. That's just his guilt talking. As for Jake…" He smiled. "He's very persistent isn't he? He really does want and care about you Lee. I can see it so clearly. Jake…He feels things so strongly. I remember Jasper, the Cullen vampire who's the empath, said he can't be around Jake for too long, especially when's he's angry, hurt, or showing his love. He said Jake feels things so passionately that sometimes it cripples him and makes him weak just from being near him. Therefore, I believe Jake; he's got my vote."

"Seth…How can you want me to involve myself with someone right now?"

"Lee…I want you to be happy. You have been so sad and unhappy for so long. You deserve any type of happiness that comes your way. You have such a good heart and Jake has seen it. He's _lived_ it remember? He can make you happy I know it. Just call it little brother's intuition." He smiled softly. "I love you and I want to see you smile. You smile a lot more when you're around Jake. You don't realize it, but I do. If he needs you to believe in him, then try. He needs to know that what he's fighting for will be there waiting for him. He does not want to fight for nothing. I don't know the depths of his feelings, but I do know they're pretty deep. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes…Do you understand that there's a likely chance Jake won't be able to do anything about the imprint and will end up back with Renesmee? Do you understand that I am _dying_ in a few months and that in the end we'll both end up alone?" Leah asked.

"Yes I do, but do _you_ understand that there is a chance that he'll break that stupid imprint and be with you? Do _you_ understand that he does not care about you dying in the near future? He only cares about the here and now. He wants whatever time he can have with you. Nothing else matters. He would rather end up alone than be with Renesmee. Do you know it sucks to be with someone knowing you don't love or care for him or her like he or she does for you? It sucks to be living a _lie_. I know I would rather be alone and live the truth than to be with someone and live a lie." Seth was just full of wisdom that evening. He wants his sister happy. He loves her and wants to see her laugh and smile again. He knows deep down she loves Jake but she's scared.

"Yes I do _know_ Seth! I've been there with Sam, but if Jake can't do it, I won't make it through. Whether it's before my time to go or not." Leah said exasperatingly.

"Why is it so hard to believe in him though? I do and he _needs_ you. If his wolf is acting like that, don't you think you owe it to yourself and him to find out why? I know you let your heart and your mind wander and think about it." He sighed. "Look Lee…I know you're scared, but you have got to stop letting your fear lead you. Let yourself lead the fear instead. You need to stop torturing yourself and live for today. Stop worrying about what tomorrow will bring. Tomorrow is not guaranteed to any of us." He stood up. "So suck it up and be the Leah I know you once were…The one who took risks…The one who acted first then asked questions later." He went to her and kissed her on the forehead and then went to bed.

Leah could not believe her brother was so grown up. 'Since when did he get so wise?' She smiled weakly. She knew he had some points…Hell he had plenty of points. She stood up and went upstairs to bed with the whole day replaying over and over in her mind.

The next morning, a sleepy Jake was woken up when he heard the softest creak of his window open. He looked toward the window with his sleepy eyes, but he could not make out the person yet. "Who's there?"

Two small hands rested on his cheeks and a pair of familiar, soft lips pressed upon his own.

**Another cliff-hanger I know. Well who do you guys think it is? Did Renesmee get brave and cross the border or was it Leah who came to her senses? You guys will just have to guess and wait until the next update. Don't forget to review. I would love to hear what you guys think. Thank you in advance for reading and reviewing!**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Hey guys! Sorry for the late update. Real life gets in the way sometimes. Hope you guys like this chapter. Big shout out to MidnightStarr. Thank you girl! **

'**Thoughts'**

Jake kissed the pair of lips back, but stopped and pulled away to see who it was.

Hallelujah…It was Leah! She gently kissed him again. Seth's words of wisdom got through to her after all. She pulled back away from him and gazed into his eyes. "Hey you."

Jake could not believe it. Leah was here with him. He kissed her again just to make sure it really was her. His wolf was howling so loudly and loved it. He pulled away from her lips and then kissed her cheeks, forehead, and jaw. "Is it really you? If this is a dream, I don't want to wake up."

"Does it smell like me? Feel like me?" She kissed his nose.

Jake put his head between her neck and shoulder and he inhaled very deeply. He loved her scent like crazy. "You smell so good and like you. Your scent of the sea breeze with a mixture of strawberries and pineapples drives me wild." He pulled away from her and then cupped her cheeks. "How? What?" He was speechless.

"I will try okay? I'm just going to try. Jake…You have to…You have to fight harder for this then you've ever fought for anything before." Leah said as she gazed back into his face.

Jake was so happy at that moment. His wolf was content and loving the feelings that were passing between them. His wolf was growling softly. "Do you hear that? My wolf is so happy and content. _I'm_ content. What changed your mind though? You were so against it yesterday? What changed?" He was curious as well. He wanted to know what happened.

Leah smiled weakly. "Thank Seth."

"Seth? What about him?"

"He drilled some words into me last night." She chuckled. "He may only be seventeen, but my brother is a man nonetheless."

Jake smiled brightly. 'That's my boy. I have to make sure I thank him later.' "What did he say?"

"He's pretty sure I should give you a chance."

"Oh wow! Remind me to congratulate and thank him later." His face turned serious. "Lee…I will fight for this. I will give it everything I've got. I don't know what we have or what name to put on it, but I will try okay? Do you trust me?"

"Like I said…I'm going to try too." She smiled softly and pecked his lips.

"Leah…I don't mean to kill the mood, but there is something I would like to talk to you about."

Leah sighed. "What now?"

"I apologize for the way I reacted yesterday by the cliffs. I could not stand Sam kissing you let alone touch you…_ANY_ part of you. I'm not apologizing for the way I acted with him. I'm apologizing for the way I acted with you. You're too pure for him to taint you with his guilt." Jake meant what he said too. Sam was just feeling sorry himself.

Leah raised an eyebrow. "Too pure?"

Jake chuckled. "Bad choice of words. You know what I mean. You've recovered well from his shit. He does not need to add more for you to recover from."

Leah nodded and crawled over him onto the bed. "Yeah…I know."

"I do have one question for you anyway. I feel we should get some things out in the open since we're going to give us a try. Why didn't you pull away from him when he kissed you? You did not kiss him back, but you did not pull away either." He wanted to know what she was thinking and why she did what she did. He was curious. Leah was unpredictable and full of surprises. He thought for sure she would kiss Sam back with all of her might.

"Because Sam was doing it for himself…Not for me. Whatever gives him closure I guess."

Jake processed her words. He was not surprised that Leah would put Sam in front of herself. 'How can she still consider his feelings? After everything he put her through.' "How can you still consider his feelings after everything that happened?"

"Because…I want him to be happy."

"What about you? You're supposed to be happy too. You can't let him be happy at your expense, Lee." Jake was exasperated at first, but this just showed how selfless and sweet Leah was.

"I've let you _all_ be happy at my expense…And here I am giving you a chance, so maybe you should be happy instead of inquisitive." She smiled warmly at him and kissed his jaw.

Jake kissed her cheeks and lips chastely. "One more question: are you happy? Are you happy that you gave me a chance?" Jake asked as he looked into her eyes intensely.

"I'm not sure yet, but I like kissing you." She looked up at him with those pretty blue eyes.

Jake inhaled her scent again. "I can't get enough of your scent. You smell so good; your scent is alluring, Lee. 'Every time I get a whiff of her scent, the imprint bond dims.' "Your eyes are so beautiful. Do you know that?"

Leah smirked. "I've always assumed." She kissed him again, but this time her teeth nipped at his lips temptingly. "Did you know I always thought you were handsome?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

She nodded. "I admit I sneaked a peek at you every time you phased."

"Oh really? I used to sneak a peek at you too."

It was her turn to raise an eyebrow. "Really?"

"I always thought you were sexy. Ever since we were young, I was attracted to you. I thought you were cute, then pretty, and now you're just plain sexy…Not to mention beautiful."

Leah smirked while she moved to sit over his hips and straddled him. "I thought you were annoying, then weird, then kind of cute, and then kind of hot. Now, you're handsome and _all_ of the above."

Jake placed his hands over her hips. "Oh yeah?" He could have smelled her arousal. Her arousal caused his wolf to snarl and growl hungrily. "Do you hear that?"

She nodded kissing his forehead. "No…What is it?"

"My wolf is so active and loud right now. I was so sure you heard it. Its like it's rejoicing at your closeness. Can't you hear me growling and snarling? It's my wolf; it's loving our closeness and warmth."

Leah then shocked him with some welcoming truths from her very own lips. Jake thought he would never hear any type of thing like that. She placed a hand over her own chest. "My wolf awaits your every touch. It craves it like you're meant to guide my every move and decision. It's eager for your voice, eager to please you…" She trailed off as he spoke up.

"Oh wow!" He was speechless and he said that so breathlessly. "Go on…Go on please." He prompted. He really wanted to hear more of what she had to say. His heart was racing so fast.

"It thinks you're a true leader…Someone I should follow, stand beside…" She put her lips by his ear. Her soft breath tickled him as she murmured her last words. "Submit to. It wants me to lie down for you…" She was fighting back the blush and her smirk as she relayed her wolf's feelings. "Give you my neck."

Jake grasped her hips in his hands tightly and he started to move her a little over him. He was rejoicing inside at the news she gave him. The news intensified his confidence and will to fight harder for her. "Oh yeah? I should take you right now…Satisfy you…Make you scream my name until you can't scream anymore. My wolf is telling me to take you…Take you right now." He raised up to whisper in her ear huskily. "Do you want me to?" He began to move her a little more faster over him.

Leah bit her bottom lip. She did not know what to say so she settled for moving herself faster over his crotch. Her hands wandered in his hair and she attached her lips to his.

Jake made sure he gripped her hips tightly and then he lifted his hips up and moaned at the friction caused by their moving bodies. "You are so hot." He pushed himself up and took off her top and much to his liking, she did not have on a bra.

Leah took that as a written invitation to slide her hands around to the front of his muscled, hot chest, fingernails gently raked down his abs. All the while, she thought she'd much like to lick them later.

Jake continued moving against her and he loved the friction. He wanted more contact, no _needed_ more contact. His wolf was howling and singing his satisfaction and it wanted more. He took his hands and palmed both of her breasts and stroked them. He tweaked and pinched both nipples erotically.

Leah leaned her head into the crook of his neck. Jake earned his first little mewl, a soft squeak of pleasure against his flesh. The sound drove him insane as much as his hands on her was driving her wolf insane. The white animal snapped and rolled in pleasure and needed to be below Jake, needed his touch, as it felt, ultimately to survive. In the midst of all that, it was also pleading to Leah to please her lover. Obeying it's command, her hand slid between them and began stroking his cock.

Jake arched into her hand, desperately needing her touch. He grinded into it strongly as her hand stroked him up and down and it drove him crazy. He kissed her to stifle his moans and groans. His wolf was going mad and because of the effect Leah had on him, he knew he would be done soon so he flipped them over with him on top of her. He kissed her lips greedily, hungrily and slowly trailed kisses down her body. He knew he had to please her first. He reached her left breast and took her nipple into his mouth and sucked on it like a babe needing milk. He did the same thing to her right breast.

Leah was going crazy; she arched her body up and forward. She needed the contact. Her heartbeat was a rapid flutter, sounding strong compared to otherwise. As Jake made his way down, her eyes never left him and one hand moved back into his hair to softly run her fingers over his scalp and tug the black strands. Her breath came out heavily all the while. She could not stand the suspense.

Jake reached the waistband of her shorts and looked for a sign to continue. She nodded her head and he pulled her shorts down. She arched her hips so he could easily slide them off. Much to his pleasure, she had no panties on and his wolf was very excited. It was purring and wanted to nibble on the soft flesh facing him.

Leah matched Jake action by action and brought down the boxers he slept in. She was…Quite impressed. Sam was large, but Jacob was wow! Her eyes widened a little in the magnificence of the moment. 'He is huge and looks so delectable. His cock is enticing and it's all mine.' Leah thought while gazing at Jake's masterpiece.

Jake nuzzled his head in her tiny curls and inhaled her arousal. 'Damn…I can't get enough of her smell.' He dipped his face right in her center. He was not feeling or tasting enough flesh so he spread her legs further apart and finally reached his goal. He placed his head right at the center of her core. Her heat radiated off of her and he flicked his tongue all the way inside. He nibbled on the sweet little flesh of her sensitive clit and then he sucked on it and made Leah jump.

The hand in his hair gave delightful little pulls as he sent the rivulets of pleasure streaming up her small frame. She had to fight her own thighs so that they don't close on his head and keep him there forever. If she knew they were going to get so frisky today, she would have shaved and wore some perfume. She made a mental note for next time. She muttered into the pillow which was drenched in Jake's delicious smell. "Jake…Fuck…Gosh!" All of her words were interspersed with moans.

Jake continued licking, nibbling, and stroking for a few minutes. Then he inserted a finger into her core while having his breakfast.

Leah went crazy at this. She screamed loudly into the pillow. She was hot, wet, and tight even on his single finger and it made Jake fantasize about the moment he will get to actually take her. Her hips were bucking with wild abandon, her chest rose and fell quickly with sweat beading in the valley between her breasts. Her bellybutton rang sparkles in the dim sunlight and it made her truly seem like a treasure. Jacob acted so perfectly down there.

Jake could not wait to take her. He loved hearing her moan and scream his name. The fact that _he_ was the one making her feel like this spurred him on. Only _he_ could and would be able to make her scream like this. _Only he_ would be able to give her this type of pleasure. 'She is mine. Mine and mine alone.' He added a second finger and stroked her faster while he licked and sucked her.

Leah's back curved and her toes as well. The hand finally left his hair and clenched the bed sheets instead so hard that they poked through and cut her palms. A waterfall of intensity washed over her when he hooked a special spot inside and she screamed into the pillow so loud, it was barely muffled. That scream was, to Jake's satisfaction, his name. "Jacob! Fuck!" She moved the pillow with her eyes closed and her chest heaved as she tried to come down from her high. "Gosh Jake! Yours!"

Satisfied that she got her orgasm and she was on cloud nine, he pulled away from her and asked. "What? Yours?" He smirked. "Say that again."

Leah opened her eyes which were a brighter blue than he's has ever seen them in quite a while. Her black hair twisted and strewn wildly across his bed in a beautiful way. "I'm yours."

Jake was ecstatic and his wolf was rejoicing and howling happily. Leah was his and no one else's. He leaned forward and kissed her. "Yes you are. You're mine." He growled just for good measure, the wolf making it's appearance and speaking. "No one else's. Mine!" He took his hand and plants it firmly on her center core and tweaked it. "You are mine. Do I make myself clear?"

Her hips bucked up as he touched her. "Yes." She grasped his thighs. "Move up."

Jake did what she asked and he moved up. They were head to head although his legs were longer than hers. His erection pressed against her belly. "Yes babe?"

She smirked and nipped at his lips enticingly. "I meant move up even more. Kneel over my chest." She grinned at him.

Jake smirked in response. "Babe…You don't have to. This morning is all about you."

Leah rolled her eyes. "Jake…Sit the fuck up."

He was actually very excited about what she was going to do and did as she asked. He moved up and kneed over her chest like she requested. He was feeling the anticipation. His wolf was howling and snarling sexily…Anxiously.

Leah smirked up at him and wrapped both of her palms around his massive length. She smoothed them up and down, reverse rhythms until she had him hardened to perfection, minor shivers coursed through Jake's stomach and abdomen. Then she leaned herself forward and placed just the softest kiss to the head of him.

Jake nearly combusted with a scream at the contact. He felt his body shiver all over. He was rising slowly and steadily in the clouds.

After she kissed the head of him, she then wrapped her lips around him, encasing him in slick, wet heat. She was eager for his reaction.

Jake started to tremble. He braced himself as he placed his hands on the headboard in front of him. He groaned but not too loud. Leah's mouth was like a warm furnace, heating him from the sole of his feet to the crown of his head. It was so intense that he felt himself losing his mind, literally. The feeling was like fire running through his veins. It was soaring in intensity, like an eagle soaring in the sky. Her mouth was working wonders. His mind had stars circling around it.

Leah could read his pleasure, his amusement by the way the muscles of his chest rippled and the way his breathing picked up. She began to bob her head; her tongue licked up the side of him delicately while one hand was still pumping away and the other was fondling the soft sacs below.

Jake was bracing the headboard hard. He was bracing it so hard that it started to crack and he had to loosen his hold a little. He loosen it as little as his pleasure would allow. "Right there Lee. That's the spot. Keep going." He groaned out softly as low as his voice could go without whispering.

Leah did exactly as she was told and when she was sure Jacob thought she could offer him no more, she opened her throat the rest of the way and took his whole erection inside; the warmth engulfed him completely. The hand that was pumping reached up to the headboard, took his and brought it to her neck where he could feel himself moving in and out of her throat.

When Jake felt his own erection in her throat, he groaned. He could not believe she took him in so far. He could not help but thrust into her mouth slowly so she did not gag. "Oh yeah…I like that. Oh Lee." He moaned out softly. He was thrusting slowly and he could have felt himself getting closer and closer to his release. He continued his movements while she continued hers and then minutes later, he released himself inside her hot and willing mouth. He emptied his load in her mouth and she took in every drop.

Leah swallowed all he had to give her and released him only when she was sure she'd gotten every drop from him. She loved the taste and she licked him clean before she rested her head back against the bed and just stared up at him with a smile.

Jake looked down at her and smiled in content. "Wow! That was incredible." He was breathless and then he lied down next to her, cuddled her to his right side and kissed her cheeks while he stroked her hair.

She gave him that calm, small smile, followed by a silent yawn.

Jake kissed her forehead. "Take a nap Lee. I'll be here when you wake up."

Meanwhile at Sam and Emily's, Sam woke up from the couch and put some coffee to brew. He was moving around the kitchen looking for items to make breakfast when Emily came in. She flicked her brown eyes at him.

"Morning."

Sam glanced at her. "Morning." He then returned to brewing his coffee and making breakfast.

"How's Leah doing?"

Sam kept his back to her and answered her. "She's okay…For now. She has good days and bad days."

"I see."

From that tone of voice and her two words, Sam knew the whiny, apologizing voice she uses was coming.

"Sam I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "For what? What are you sorry for Emily?"

"Acting like that."

He finally turned and faced her. "Acting like what?"

"Like she doesn't matter."

"Like who doesn't matter? You can't even say her name can you? What are you sorry for Emily? Are you really sorry for the way you acted or are you sorry for the fact that I finally saw the real you that you have been hiding?"

Emily's jaw dropped. "What? _Real_ me?"

"I guess you were not listening to yourself when you said those mean things then." He turned back around to continue making his coffee.

After only a second, Sam felt her hands on his shoulders turn him around. "Sam you listen to me! I _love_ my cousin I do. However, I know the difference between a situation I can help and one I should stay out of. Like you _should_."

Sam scoffed. "Give me a break Emily. You have an odd way of showing you _love_ your cousin. I know I should stay out of it and I am, but that does not mean I have to act like she does not matter. That does not mean I can't offer my support and help, whether she wants it or not. As long as she _knows_ I'm there when she needs me…Us. That's what I've been trying to make you understand, but obviously you don't." He took her hands off of his shoulders and turned back around.

"Sam…You're really not letting your _ex-girlfriend_ get in the way of our relationship are you?"

He sighed. "You fail to see the point. You're not listening to word I'm saying now or what I've been saying. This is not about us. I told you how I feel about you so you should not be worried. Right now someone important to us all is dying and I can't act like everything is okay when it's really not."

"But Sam what do you want me to do?" She was exasperated. She did not see what's so important or why she needed to worry herself about something she couldn't control or should concern herself with.

"At least act like you fucking care. Emily…That night…The way you spoke and acted…I was bewildered. You have _no idea_ what that did to me to see you act like that. You and Leah were so close…Like sisters. She had no female friends and not even her own mother was there. Her mom took your side over her own flesh and blood. Leah was _alone_ when she found out about her condition. Don't you get it? Stop thinking about yourself for once. Damn! You really surprised me that night; I could not look at you the same. I love you and I always will. You're my imprint, but you're not the woman I imprinted on. The woman I imprinted on would have been the first person to tend to her. She would have been the first person to offer her support and help and be there for her. You need to think about what you said and did." He turned back to his coffee and drank it all in one gulp. He then turned to look at her. "I'm going out for a little bit. Love you!" He took his car keys and walked out the door.

Emily just stood there just like the first night in total shock. Then she called the only person she could think of to yell at this time.

At the Cullen residence, it was noted that Jake was acting strangely. Everyone noticed something was off, especially Bella since Jake was her best friend. She was outside with Edward on the porch enjoying the scenery when she brought up the subject with Edward. "Honey…Have you noticed anything off with Jake lately? Anything extreme? What do you get from his mind?"

Edward was staring out at the lawn glistening with dew. "More than one would see fit to share."

"What do you mean?"

"Jacob's mind has been rather…One-sided lately. On other things besides our daughter and strict pack business."

"That's it? He has been acting weird. He comes over, but not as much as he used to and when he does, he does not stay long. He just sits with Nessie, talks to her and then leaves. He hardly says two words to me anymore either." Bella's face was sullen when she spoke.

Edward sighed and rested his hands on his wife's cheeks. "Jake's mind has been resting on a different female, other than you or our darling Renesmee."

Bella's eyes widened and she stepped back from his arms. She was stunned and confused. "What? Since when?"

"This has been going on for about two weeks now. His mind only casually placed her under scrutiny before, even though that was with reverence."

Bella's eyes widened even more at this news. "Two weeks? Do you know who and why?"

Edward nodded. "Leah. He holds some kind of reverence for her, a kind of respect and yearning. More than once his thoughts have labeled her as his and his alone."

"What?" Bella shrieked out. She looked incredulous and her eyes were as wide as saucers. "Leah? No…It can't be. Not Leah…Why her?" She shook her head in disbelief. "He imprinted on Renesmee. He's my best friend!" Bella could not believe it. Jake could be taken away from her and her daughter and she did not know what to do.

Edward ran his hand through her hair. "I know Bella, I understand…But Jacob seems to be truly lost in the fantasy that is Leah right now. I believe it has something to do with her death sentence…Though I'm not sure."

"Death sentence? What do you mean?"

"Leah has inherited the heart condition that plagued her father, though hers has an onset of symptoms much earlier in life and much more severe. Carlisle has numbered her days to four months at the most." Edward explained.

"Oh wow! I can't believe it. So Jake is worried about Leah and is just spending time with her until her time is up. Then he'll be back to normal right?" She started to smile. She could understand Jake wanting to spend time with his pack sister until her time was up. "I understand why he would be distant. His pack sister and friend is dying so yeah he would want to spend as much time with her as he could. I wish he said something though. We used to talk about everything and now he's not the same Jake at all."

Edward sighed. He did not want to tell Bella that Jake dreamed of being more with Leah then friends.

Bella caught the sigh. "What? What's that sigh for?"

"His feelings toward Leah aren't exactly all of platonic friendship."

"Okay…What do you mean by that?"

Edward sighed again. "He's in love with her, Bella."

Bella was in shock. "What? That can't be true. He _imprinted_ on Nessie; they're meant to be together. He's already taken. Does he even know he's in love with her or is this something you picked up on and analyzed it on your own?"

"Jasper and I have discussed it. It really seems like love. He thinks about her…_All the time_. Even when he's with our daughter, he thinks about her. He envisions her in his mind, imagines smelling her scent…Fantasizes." Edward explained.

"Oh my gosh! So Jake has feelings for her but he's just not sure what it is. What about the imprint? What is he going to do about that? What about Nessie?" Bella was near hysterical. She refused to believe she could lose Jake.

"He's not sure yet. He's not one hundred percent sure on any decision, but he _does_ know he wants Leah for certain."

Bella sat in one of the chairs on the porch and sighed. "Oh no…Well…It certainly looks like he will be one hundred percent sure about it soon. He's showing up here less and less and even when he comes, he does not stay for long. It's like he stays just to satisfy the imprint bond and then leaves when he feels better. We're going to lose him; I'm going to lose him. If or when he realizes her loves her, he'll have no reason to come here. Oh no Edward! We're not going to see him again if that happens. Edward…What do we do?" Bella looked so heartbroken. One would think _she_ was seeing Jake when he came over.

Edward shushed his wife. "Bella, Jacob still adores you as one of his best friends. He will not abandon us nor Nessie."

"Oh really? Well…He seems to be doing it already. I can't lose him…Not to that woman! Ugh!" Bella couldn't stand Leah. After the nasty confrontation they had, she never liked her.

"You're not fond of Leah?"

"Well…We don't necessarily get along. She hates me remember? She accused me of bad things, especially when things were heated and confused with Jake. Now to know and see she might take him away from me…From us…Ugh…I hate that!"

"Leah has had a very difficult last few years, Bella. I think perhaps you should show a little sympathy, even if she throws it back in your face. Besides…She makes Jacob very, very happy."

Bella crossed her arms across her chest. "Still…Jake is supposed to be happy with Nessie, me, us…_Not_ her. She'll take Jake away from us." She sighed. 'Who am I kidding? I don't own Jake. He is his own person.' "You're right honey. I can't control Jake or expect him to be with us forever or all the time. It's just hard not seeing him as much as I used to."

Edward gave her a small smile. "Can't you make do with me?"

"Of course, but I've known Jake my whole life…Like forever. It's going to be tough without him around. He's my shoulder to lean on. I love him and I hope he knows that."

Edward hated when she said that. He did not think he would ever get over hearing her say that. "He does…Trust me."

Bella smiled softly at her husband. "Thanks honey! You always know what to say to cheer me up and help me." She pecked him on the cheek, held his hand and they both went back inside.

**AN: Yeah I know I ended it with Bella's selfishness, but I had to put her in there. Don't forget to review guys! I love to hear your opinions and what you're thinking. Don't worry…More Jake and Leah coming soon. **


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Hey guys! Here's a treat. You guys have been wonderful and deserve it. Shoutout to my Beta MidnightStarr. She's the best. Anyway…on to more Jake and Leah. Enjoy!**

'**Thoughts'**

Little did Bella knew, the couple she and Edward were talking about were laying down contently on Jake's bed. Leah stirred and opened her eyes at 10:30 and immediately looked for Jake.

"Hey Beautiful."

Just then, Leah and Jake were startled when Jake's bedroom door opened.

"Jacob I-Oh my blessed Lord!" He was surprised at what he walked upon. It was really an unexpected sight to behold.

"Dad…Don't you knock anymore? Oh my goodness! Damn!" Jake shouted out as he scrambled out of bed to put on his pants.

Leah gasped and pulled the blankets up to cover herself.

"Uh…Well good morning, Leah." Billy greeted. He was actually highly amused at the situation.

Jake was still scrambling to put on his pants since his movements were so hasty. "Dad…Please get out." 'Gosh! This is embarrassing!' "Get out dad…Please!"

"Uh right." Billy turned his chair around and wheeled quickly out of the room.

Leah flopped down on the bed, groaned, then put her hands over her face. "This is just fucking great."

"Sorry about that Lee. He usually knocks. I don't know why he did not knock this morning." He finally buckled his pants and finished getting dressed.

Leah sighed and fished around on the floor for her pajamas that she wore over. After she found them, she put them on and walked over to Jake. "Well…I'll be heading out now. Meet up later?"

"Yeah." He pecked her on the cheeks and she exited through the window. Ten minutes later, Jake went downstairs and found Billy in the kitchen at the table. "Good morning Dad."

"Morning…If I don't say so myself it seems like you had a better one than I did." He said as he looked at Jake with a teasing smile on his face.

Jake froze. "What do you mean, Dad?" He asked sheepishly.

"So I didn't see a nude Leah Clearwater in your bedroom this morning?"

Jake moved over to the fridge, opened it, and started taking out some eggs, toast, and sausages to make for breakfast. "Dad…Nothing happened. It's not what you think." He then grinned widely. "But yeah…I did have a great morning; it was fantastic!"

Billy groaned and scrubbed a hand down his face. "So…What _did_ happen?"

"Dad." Jake whined. "I can't talk to you about things like that. It's weird."

Billy crossed his arms over his chest. "Jacob I intend to be completely serious about this. Leah hangs out with a tough crowd. I don't want you getting involved with something you can't handle. In pack business, she's Sam's problem but in daily life, I really don't want you getting too interconnected with her way of life." He was just concerned for his son. Leah was such a good girl and then hell broke loose when Sam imprinted.

"Dad…She's not going to do that anymore. I mean…We have not really spoken about it, but I know she knows I don't like that. She will not do that to me. She won't disrespect me like that." He started to growl when he spoke next. "She is _not_ Sam's problem. She never was and never will be." He stopped growling and spoke his next words softly. "Dad…There are things about Leah you don't know. It's not her fault she's the way she is. I mean…We haven't exactly treated her very well and that _includes_ Sam and his pack. They treated her the worst, especially Sam and Emily. Leah works hard to take care of Seth and herself." He loved his father so much and respected him and he really wanted his father to understand and not judge Leah for her mistakes. He hoped his father will see reason.

Billy sighed. "I know things look hard, but that's no excuse to turn to drugs and casual sex, Jake. Frankly, isn't she involved with that Lomond boy? The drug dealer from the Makah reservation?"

Jake sighed too. "She was but not anymore. I spoke some sense into her." 'Licked, ate, and stroked some sense into her too.' "Things don't _look_ hard; things _are_ hard for her. Look…You know I love Sue, but she's been so wrapped up in Charlie she's barely home. Leah had to take up a job quickly to feed her brother and herself. Plus, there are bills to pay and the bills are not going to pay for themselves. She had a hard life; she does not have anyone. When she needed us the most, the majority of us abandoned her. Her own _mother_ took Emily's side over hers. Who does that to her own children? Leah only had Seth and I to rely on."

Billy sighed again. "Jacob…You know as well as I do that Sue has always been close with Emily. Sue just did not see a point to her daughter's useless whining and drama concerning Sam and Emily. What those two had was a high school fling and it's time to get up and move on. And Leah's been with the wrong people. To set that girl straight, by now, I think it would take a Juvenile Detention Center and rehab."

Jake nearly growled but he remembered that this was his father and he was only looking out for him. "Dad stop talking like that. I don't think being together for three years is any old high school fling. You are not being fair. Even though Sue has always been close with Emily, that did not mean she had to abandon her daughter like that." He said firmly. "Would you have abandoned me like that? You _never _left my side when Bella treated me the way she did. Instead, you stuck by and supported any decision I made. So don't you dare say it was okay for Sue to act like that. As far as I'm concerned, Emily is water compared to Leah. Leah is the blood, _not_ Emily. If Harry was here, he would've_ never_ treated Leah like how her mother did and still does. Leah is not a bad person. She's just damaged, but not damaged beyond repair." He blew out a deep breath after his speech. He hoped his dad would understand and open his eyes soon.

"You're not saying this because you two are some kind of…Some kind of sex buddies are you?" He asked skeptically.

Jake almost choked on his breakfast of eggs. "No dad…We are not having sex. I do have something to tell you though, but I need you to listen to me first and give me your word that this stays between us for now okay?"

Billy sighed deeply. It seemed like that was all he could do at the moment. "You know you can always tell me anything, son."

"Dad…Leah and I are together." He waited for his reaction.

"Oh Jacob." He sighed for like the hundredth time that day. "Go on."

"I know I have an imprint, but for the past month I have been feeling weird. However, until recently when I first got with her, I now feel a good bit satisfied. Dad…My wolf has been talking and acting up through me for the past month. At first, I did not know why, but I found out later on. My wolf is not happy with my imprint; it disapproves of her. My wolf wants Leah. I have always had a crush on her ever since we were kids you know that. But lately…" He trailed off then his face looked wistful as he stared off into space. "Her scent has changed to me. She smells…Exotic…Like the sea breeze with a mixture of strawberries and pineapples. It's alluring to me…To my wolf. It beckons me to her. This first started one day when we were all by her house one morning and she came downstairs in her pajamas. Her pajamas consisted of a tank top and short shorts. She went into the kitchen and started breakfast and I could not take my eyes off of her. While she was standing in front of the stove, I went to her and without realizing what I was doing, I cornered and groped her in the kitchen in front of everyone. I inhaled her scent deeply by pressing my head between her head and shoulder and that's when it started. My wolf wants me to mark and claim her as mine." He came out of his wistful state and proceeded to eat. "I can't do that because I have not severed the imprint bond yet, nor can I put a name to these feelings and urges I have for her. I do know I want her; I have genuine feelings for her. I know it's a lot to take in now, but that's all I've got." He blew out a breath and waited for his father's response.

Billy just sat there, trying to soak in all the information, especially about his son groping a Clearwater.

When Jake saw that his father was staying silent, he continued. "My wolf goes crazy if I see or it knows anyone or anything touching her the way I'm supposed to. It goes ballistic and in turn, I go crazy. I get this dominant persona that I take with her or anybody else I see who I think is tainting her. Sam and I had a slight altercation a day ago. I caught him throwing himself at her and kissing her and I went crazy, dad. Ever since that day in the kitchen, I've been pursuing her. Now…We're together. I gave her my word I will figure this out and soon she will _officially_ be mine when all is said and done. There…You have it. What do you think?"

"Son…I don't know. This is a lot to take in, Jake…An awful lot. I thought you wanted a family and an easy-going life in La Push?"

"I do, but I want it with Leah. You know how much I cared about her since we were kids and I still do. I let an opportunity passed me by when we were younger, but not anymore. I am not going to wonder about the 'shoulda, woulda, and couldas' anymore. I am going to take action now and I need your support on this, dad. You have always backed me up. My wolf is a part of me remember? I know it knows what's best for me and it wants Leah. I have the backup to my feelings right here." He pointed to his hear where he could feel his wolf. "I would really love to hear your thoughts and how you feel about this. What do you think about my wolf?"

"It worries me, Jake. I've never heard of things like this happening before. I just hope this doesn't mean something bad."

"I know, but you have always taught me to follow my instincts. My instincts come from my wolf. I'm an alpha, dad…Remember?"

"I know…Jacob. I'll always support your decisions…For the better or the worst." He gave his son a supporting smile. "Always. You're my only son who've stuck by me, took care of me, listened and obeyed. I couldn't have asked for a better son."

Jake walked over to his dad and knelt down to his level. "Thank you so much, dad. That means a lot. I may not say this much, but…I love you." He hugged his dad and rubbed their cheeks together wolfishly. The wolf inside him loved the contact of it's father as well.

Billy chuckled. "I love you too boy. So…How's pack business? Everything in line?"

"Yeah…Everything is fine. My pack of four is doing great; I love them. Seth, Embry, and Quil are the best. I hope Leah joins too. Hell…she's mine so eventually she will." He smirked liking the sound of that.

"Hm…And what position would she hold?"

"Well…I don't know yet. She could be my beta or…" He trailed off, smirked, then growled softly as the wolf made it's decision on what Leah would be to him. Jake continued. "She could be my alpha female. Did you hear my wolf, dad?"

Billy was in shock when he heard the growls. He looked at Jake incredulously. "Yes I did. This is odd, odd behavior. One other question…When are you and Leah going to adopt?"

Jake nearly choked on his orange juice. He looked at his father with wide eyes. "What do you mean _adopt_? What are you talking about? Do you think this is odd behavior even for an alpha?"

"Well I've never seen Sam act in a such a manner and Jacob…Leah's infertile. If you want a family, I'm going to assume you'd adopt."

Jake scoffed and sucked his teeth as soon as heard Sam's name. "Sam? Whatever! I don't care about him right now." He looked at Billy said his next words softly. "We don't know for sure that she's infertile, dad. Miracles do happen and if she really is, then we will, but now is not the time to think about children right now anyway. I'm only twenty years old and she's only nineteen. We've got time. Adoption will be the last thing we think of if we don't have anymore options. Thanks for your concern, but I will not lose hope and faith. Leah is the only female wolf for a reason and I intend to find out."

Billy patted Jake's shoulder. "Anytime, son. Anytime. Now finish your breakfast. Patrolling today?"

"Yeah…And then I'm going to go over by the Cullens to see Nessie. You know…It's funny. At first, I couldn't go a day without seeing her because of the imprint. But now, I hardly go over there. I would often get a huge ache in my chest, but once I place my head between Leah's head and shoulders and inhales, the ache dims and then slowly diminishes. I do feel the ache but not as much and not as intense. What do you think about that? You're one of the elders…You're suppose to know this stuff."

"It does sound like you're right. You're feeling a draw to Leah. I'm not sure why, but it's got to be strong to force back an imprint…Strong magic." He shook his head.

"Hm…Then I guess that's why it pisses Sam off." Jake said with a smile.

Billy raised an eyebrow. "Sam…How's he taking all this?"

"He's acting like an asshole. He's acting all jealous and wants to be all controlling and shit." The wolf growled. "He just had to kiss her. He's lucky I did not break his two hands. Next time, I will if I see him like that with Leah again. I don't even want him near her, much less touching her…Not even by accident."

Billy sighed. "Now now Jake…I understand Leah was once very dear to Sam. I'm not surprised that he's acting like this. As for the kiss…" He sighed again. "That's unfair and unjust to Emily.

Jake scoffed. "Emily? Oh please. She has nothing to worry about. Leah did not even kiss back; she just stood there. I understand they had a connection and they have one now, but it's not as strong as the one Leah and I have. What they had is over…Over and done with. As for Emily…she's not as innocent as she comes off to be, dad. You guys need to take off your blinders when it comes to her. Sam could act jealous and stupid if he wants, but Dad…I am warning you…_don't_ be surprised if you hear his two hands are broken. I am serious and I mean it. If he as so much as touch a strand of hair on her head, I will break his hands. I'll break them so bad, they'll take months to heal. He won't be touching anything for a long time. Consider that a _promise_ not a threat." He growled out the last sentence and then straightened up and spoke to Billy perkily. "Okay dad…Now is there anything you need me to do before I leave for patrol? Did you take your meds?"

"Yes I did and uh…Nope I think I'm good. Uh…Have a nice day son." He was a little shocked at the animosity that came with the warning. Jacob's wolf was out and there was no stopping it. It was time to get serious and down to business.

Later that night, when Leah got off of work, she picked up Jake and brought him back to the house for dinner. The pack and her brother were already waiting patiently for food. When Leah and Jake walked in together, their minds ran wild.

Seth ran up to Leah and grabbed her in a hug not even noticing Jake. "Hey Lee…How are you? How was work?"

Leah smiled weakly and hugged him back. She then shoved a fifty dollar bill in his hand. "I'm fine. Here's your allowance for this week."

Seth pulled away and gave her a big smile. "Wow Lee! You don't have to." He hugged her again but tightly. "You're the best." He then let her go and went upstairs to his room to put it in his piggy bank.

Leah smirked after her. He'll always be her baby brother. "It's not like it was any trouble…Hustling pool's a talent."

Seth walked back downstairs while he answered. "I can see that." He finally noticed Jake for the first time that night. "Hey Jake!"

Jake walked over to him and ruffled his hair, then fist bumped him. Even though he's not a little kid, he'll always be that to Jake. Hence him ruffling his hair. "I'm fine buddy. I remember I'm suppose to thank and congratulate you."

Seth smiled brightly. "For what?'

"You know what! Thanks for sticking up for me with your sister. She came to her senses and finally decided to give me a chance. It's all because of you." All of the guys turned to Jake the minute he said Leah decided to give him a chance.

Seth's eye opened as wide as saucers. "She did? She actually _listened_ to me. Wow! I am in shock." He grinned. "It's about damn time. Ugh…Believe me Jake when I say I've worked hard in talking to her. She's so stubborn, but I'm glad she made the right choice."

Jake laughed wholeheartedly. "Yes…Your sister is very stubborn, but I like it. Thanks again buddy; I owe you one."

"It was nothing." He said and then went over to sit on the couch and proceeded to play his video games.

Jared was the first to recover out of the guys. He whistled. "I don't know what to say."

Leah rolled her eyes and started on dinner.

"What is there to say?" Quil asked.

"When Sam finds out, he's going to be sitting brick! Where is he anyway? Paul?" Embry announced.

Paul was in deep thought before he answered. "He and Emily got into another fight, apparently. So he's running to blow off some steam. He didn't eat though so I'm sure he'll be showing up here sooner or later. Now I can say, Jake…You have more courage than any man I've ever known…Outside of Sam."

"Hm…Well thanks Paul. I follow my instincts and I have common sense. I am not Sam; I hope you guys know that." Jake said as he looked at each of them one behind the other.

"Of course I do. I'm sure we all know that." Embry gestured to all of them.

"They had a fight? Do you know what about?" Quil asked.

Jake looked at Leah to see if she was paying attention. She rolled her eyes at the mere mention of a fight between Sam and Emily.

"Uh…Yeah. We can't say anything though." Jared informed.

Paul nodded in agreement. "Sam wants to keep it on the downlow."

Quil raised an eyebrow. "Hm…if that's the case, he must be hiding something."

Jake scoffed. "I already know what it is. He better lay off Leah's radar if he knows what's good for him." Jake could not help but to warn.

It was Paul's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Why?"

"What do you mean?" Embry added.

Leah turned to Jake. "Let's not.

"Lee…I really think they should know, especially Paul, what a bastard Sam really is." Jake exclaimed.

"Bastard or not, he's your brother." Leah reminded him.

"You're right, Lee…He is my brother, but he has no right…_None_ at all to touch what is mine." Jake growled out. Her scent beckoned to him and the wolf purred at her voice. He walked over to her, pulled her onto him by groping her ass, then kissed her long and hard. He pulled away leaving her breathless and turned to face the guys. "Now…Leah does not want everyone to know, so let's leave it alone…For now. However, I'm going to give you guys the same warning that I gave my dad this morning. If Sam ever, I mean _ever_ puts his hands on Leah again, don't be surprised when you find out his two hands are broken. Got it?" He growled out and his eyes turned a dark shade of brown. There was a hint of the alpha tone and look from Jake.

The guys just stared at him with their dropped jaws and wide eyes. Jared, as usually, was the first to recover. "Jesus! Keep it pg-13 for Seth, Jacob. And what do you mean 'put his hands on Leah again'?"

Paul flicked his eyes at Leah, who was staring at the back of Jake's skull in shock herself.

"Just what I said. Leave it alone and consider it a warning and promise. Do you guys understand me?" Jake pressed on.

Being the sweet and carefree guy he always was, Seth answered. "Don't worry, Jake. I'm sure he knows better. Oh and Jared…I'm seventeen. You guys are not that much older than me."

"In that case Jake, feel free to grope and squeeze the hell out of Leah then."

"Will you just fucking tell me what Sam did?" Paul asked in frustration.

Quil immediately jumped on his case. "Why is it so important for you to know what he did, Paul? So you could pick up for him and kiss his ass like you always do?"

Embry was curious too. "Yeah…Why are you so interested in that?"

"Because Sam…" Paul started to answer but Jared cut him off.

"Paul shut the hell up!"

Paul rolled his eyes. "Nevermind."

"Because Sam what?" Embry prompted.

In that moment, Sam walked in the door. "Goodnight everyone. Sam what?"

Paul stabbed a fork in his food as Leah put his plate down. "Nothing."

"It's not nothing; I heard my name."

"I was going to say because Sam is not going to like what he finds out." Paul said as he looked at Leah and Jake for a quick cover-up.

Jake was so annoyed. "Paul…Do you want me to throw that food in your fucking face?"

"Find out what? What's going on?" Sam asked as he looked around at everyone.

"You really are a dick, you know that?" Leah said to Paul. She was the one to answer Sam though. "Nothing…Are you hungry?"

Leah made chicken alfredo with a side of buttery mashed potatoes and broiled vegetables.

Sam's face softened when he looked at her. "Yes I am and I would love to have some if there are enough to give me." He turned to Paul and Jared. "What's nothing? You guys are hiding something. What is it?" Sam knew that whatever it was, he would not like it. Which explained why the guys were so hesitant to say anything. Leah took up a plate of food and handed it to him.

"It's nothing man. Just eat." Jared chided.

"Come one Paul and Jared. You two are my closest friends. I feel weird that you two are keeping something from me.' He grinned as he sat down to eat. "You guys are so obvious; It's hard to not see something is wrong." His expression turned serious. This was not something he was willing to let go so easily. "Come on Jared…Paul…Tell me."

Jared and Paul stayed quiet. They wanted to tell him but they knew what would happen if they did.

Seth rolled his eyes and sucked his teeth. Jake was just leaning against the wall looking sexy and sharp. He was waiting for his food not caring about the conversation. Seth got up, sucked his teeth again and then spoke. "Shit man…He's going to find out anyway. I'm sorry Lee." He turned to Sam "Sam…Leah and Jake are together. There…I said it…The big secret." He sat back down and continued eating his food.

Sam gripped his fork tightly and stopped eating. He was not sure if he heard right. "What?"

Leah sighed. "What Seth said."

Sam shook his head in denial. "Together? Together how? What is he talking about Paul?"

"Like it is man." Paul verified.

Everyone sat in their places and just waited for his reaction. Sam stood up. "What the fuck? Since when?"

Leah sighed. "Sam just sit down" She knew Sam and she knew a fight was bound to happen.

Sam's hand with the fork started to shake. He then slammed his other hand on the table. The impact was a loud smack that echoed throughout the whole house. He was furious. Jacob had an imprint and he did not want what happened with him and Leah to happen to her again. "What the hell?" He stood up. "Jacob…You have an imprint; you can't do this."

Jake pushes himself from off the wall he was leaning on. "Like hell I can't! What the fuck's wrong with you?"

Sam moved closer to Jake. "You have a fucking _imprint_ that's what's wrong. You're going to hurt her. You're going to…" Jake interrupted him.

"I'm going to leave her?" Jake walked to Sam and closed the distance between them. He stood in front of Sam's face and growled loudly. "I'm not like you. I'm not you, Sam. Unlike you, I am _choosing_ to fight."

Sam was not backing down. His alpha instincts goaded him on and he growled back at Jacob. "I already told you I had no fucking choice. You're going to fight a losing battle. You can't fight an imprint…You can't!"

Everyone froze in their positions while watching the confrontation. They were too stunned to do or say anything at that moment.

Jake continued. "You want to bet? I can and I _will_. As a matter of fact, I'm fighting it all now and I'm going to win. You know why? I have my wolf helping me. You forgot, Sam…Our wolves are a part of us. My wolf wants Leah and so do I as a whole. What I want, I _get. _What my wolf wants, it _gets._ I am going to warn you right now. I told my father this morning and I told the guys a while ago…If you ever, _ever_ kiss Leah again, I will break your two hands. If you touch a strand of hair on her hand, I will break them . I will break them so bad, they would take months to heal. I guarantee you will be missing hands when I'm done with you." Jake growled out and his nostrils flared. The wolf was angry and ready to strike. With Sam being an alpha, Jake's wolf was even more aggressive.

The guys were stunned again after hearing Sam kissed Leah.

"Jesus Sam." Paul said. He had a feeling that was what he did.

"Holy crap." Jared saw this coming but did not think it would happen so soon.

"Do you understand me, Sam?" Jake asked.

Sam growled back. "Who the hell do you think you are? I was with Leah first. I did not kiss her to make a move on her. I don't owe you any explanation anyway. Get the fuck out of my face. I could touch Leah if I want to. I could pat her hand and anything like that. She won't mind…won't you Leah?"

Jake snarled and he growled so loudly. The guys all heard it and their bodies grew stiff and tense. Jake was fuming inside. Sam thought this was some sort of game and he was a fool to even put Leah in the middle of this. "Leave Leah out of this, Sam. I am warning you." His body started to ripple and it looked like he would phase at any second.

For once on her life, Leah did not know what to do. She was speechless and she never thought a day like this would happen. Her first love and present love were fighting in front of her, over her and she did not know how to stop it, but she knew she better act fast or else someone will get hurt. She went and pushed herself in between them and put a hand on each chest. "Stop it! Both of you!"

Jake and Sam heard her, but did not _listen_ to her…yet. They both stared each other down neither willing to give in. Alpha versus alpha and whoever gave in first was the weakest and it appeared to be like that.

Jake was one of Embry's best friends since first grade and he was not willing to let things get out of hand. He saw Jake's body ripple and he went over to him. Jared and Paul also went over to Sam. Leah took off the hand from Sam's chest and put both on Jake's. Embry grabbed Jake's shoulders nicely.

"Jake…He is just tempting you. Don't fall for it." Embry said to try to get Jake to calm down.

Jared put his hands on Sam's shoulders as well. "Sam man…let it go. You'll only push Leah away.

Sam and Jake just stood there and still stared until Paul grabbed Sam's arms and pulled him away to the other side of the room.

Seth walked over to Jake, Embry and Leah. "Jake…Calm down. Leah can take care of herself. She won't let anybody touch her if she doesn't want to be touched."

Even though Jared and Paul pulled Sam away, Jake's stare never faltered. He kept his eyes on Sam. Leah started to rub his chest with her hands, soothing him and trying to calm him down. Feeling Leah's hands on Jake like that worked immediately and he finally snapped out of it. "I'm here." He looked down at Leah, his face softened slightly. "Baby…I'm going for a walk." He gave her hands a gentle squeeze and without touching his food, he walked out and the slammed the door behind him making the others jump.

Jared reprimanded Sam the second the door closed. "Damn it Sam. Why did you have to goad him like that? What's wrong with you?"

Sam just ignored him and went back to eating his dinner. He, himself was not sure what the hell just happened. The alpha in him just could not and was not willing to back down.

"Did you guys hear his wolf? It was going crazy. He was right; his wolf is talking to and through him." Embry confirmed.

Leah sighed, looking at the door sadly. She then looked at Sam, but said nothing. She went to the kitchen and started on the dishes. When she was done with them, she headed out the door after Jake.

After Leah left was when Sam answered. "Yes I did. Jacob has damn imprint! He is going to hurt and leave her."

Quil was furious. Jake was his cousin and the two were close and he did not like how Sam behaved. Alpha or not, he's not his alpha so he spoke up. "Is that what's _really_ bothering you, Sam? Or is it the fact that Jake is going to do something you were too coward to do in the first place? Something that you never thought of doing?"

"Stop it, Quil. You'll only make him more angry." Embry chastised.

Sam ignored them and continued eating. Inside he was seething and knew Quil was right. 'Quil is right. What Jake said got to me. He's going to fight for her…Something I never did. Something I should've done, but I'll never admit that out loud.'

Seth whistled. "Well…That was interesting. Video games anyone? Quil? Embry?"

"Sure." Embry agreed.

"Yeah." Quil joined in.

All three of them walked upstairs and into Seth's room to play some Xbox since the Wii was in the living room.

Sam stayed at the table eating quietly. 'I should go after Leah and Jacob, but that's too obvious and would cause too much trouble.' He decided to just leave the situation alone for now.

Meanwhile Leah found Jake at the beach. She walked up behind him and ran a hand through his hair. That had an incredibly soothing effect on him. "It's nice out isn't it?"

Jake leaned into her touch. "Yes it is." He leaned into her touch even more. It was so calming to him…To his wolf. He sighed. "I'm sorry I lost it back there Leah."

"Everyone gets angry; it's normal." Her hand continued that soft soothing motion through his hair.

"I know but he made me so angry. Then he wants to bring you into the argument. Lee…I wanted to rip his head off." He brought her to the front of him to sit on his lap.

"I think that might mostly be your wolf talking." She rested herself back against his chest, head tucked under his chin. "What's it saying right now?"

Jake rested his head atop hers. "It's saying you're the most beautiful girl in the whole world. It wants to be your protector, best friend, lover, and your everything." He then felt a soft kiss pressed to the side of his neck.

"I don't need my wolf to tell me that the most beautiful girl in the world is very lucky to have someone like you." Leah said. Just being in Jake's arms, made her feel so much better. All of her problems melted away and it was only her and Jake on the beach at that moment.

"Yeah well…I've always thought you were the most beautiful girl in the world. My wolf reiterates it. Would you like to know what I, not my wolf thinks?"

"Tell me."

"You're the greatest and most wonderful girl I could ever have. You're the light in my darkness…The spark to my fire. You're strong-minded, sweet, caring, loving, and passionate. Not to mention fiery." He kissed lips tenderly and she almost cried.

Leah broke the kiss a few seconds after it began, although she was pretty sure she never wanted it to end. "Why are you going to make it so hard to leave in two months?"

"Baby…It's not going to be hard because you're not going anywhere. I'm going to do my best to help you." Jake could not bear the thought of her leaving. He pulled her even closer to him.

"Jake…" She smiled sadly. "It's okay you know."

"No it's not. You're not going anywhere; I won't let you. I just found you and I'm not going to lose you again. I already spoke to Carlisle…He's doing some research. No word yet, but he's looking."

Leah looked at him sadly, then out at the water. She was quiet for a few minutes, her hand leisurely stroking his arms. A thought struck her after a while. "Will you go back to Renesmee…After I'm gone?"

"No! Never!" His voice was strong when he answered. He could not believe she asked him that. "I ill not have her as my stand by. It's not fair to me or to her. Plus…You're my number one. I don't have those kind of feelings for her anymore anyway. The bond is still there yes…But I feel like an older brother to her."

Leah smiled weakly and nodded while kissing his jaw and cuddling further into his chest as she began to get the chills.

Jake wrapped his arms around her holding her close and firmly. "Bella has noticed my change in behavior." He felt there was no need to hide anything from Leah. Two of the most vital things in a relationship is trust and honesty and he was willing to show and give her those.

"What'd she say?"

"She noticed that I am distant with Renesmee and her. She noticed that I hardly come around as much too. I'm sure she asked Edward, but I'm not sure what he told her."

"Do you think you should spend more time there?"

"No. Bella is my best friend but she's all about Edward and her vampire family. I realized I need to focus on my life and what's good for me. I am tired of putting myself last and end up losing. I want to focus on building my life, dreams, and family. I want to start doing those things with you. Bella already has her dream and it's time for me to live mine. If she missed me, she would call or at least make an attempt to see me. If she really wanted to she would. Nessie is like a little sister and I don't mind seeing her a couple times. Are you okay with me going over there?" Jake asked. He valued and cared about her feelings. He would never put her in line when it comes to him.

"I can't ask you to stop; she was there first." She sighed, stood up, and wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm going to take a shower then go to bed. I'm getting a headache."

Jake felt her pulling away from him mentally and emotionally. He got up and wrapped his arms around her again to warm her. "You're not going anywhere yet. Did that question throw you off? For the record…You're my number one…Always have been and always will."

"Jake I'm fine." She rubbed his back. "It just seemed like…Maybe you want to spend more time over there than you have been lately."

He pulled her away from him and held her at arms' length so he could look at her head on. "Baby…That's not what I meant. I was just letting you know how Bella felt and what she told me. I am fine with the way things are and the amount of time I am spending there now. I don't care to have more time or not. All that matters is you. As a matter of fact, the small amount of times I go there, you could accompany me if you want. I would be proud to have the most gorgeous woman on my arms to show off. I know once the imprint bond breaks, I won't be over there at all. Even if I do go, it'll be once in a while."

Leah kissed his nose. "It's totally fine baby. Now really…My head hurts. Can we go in?"

Jake kissed her cheeks chastely. "Okay…Let's go." They walked back to her house. Jake gave her some aspirin for her headache and then put her to bed. Leah was up for an hour before she finally fell asleep.

Jake watched her for a while, then went to call his dad to check on him. Once he was assured his dad was fine, he told him he was staying over at Leah's. He then grabbed a blanket and pillow and lied down on the floor. Half an hour later, he fell asleep.

At Sam and Emily's, the tension was thick. It was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Sam was still upset with what happened earlier and also at Emily's attitude. For the past couple of days, Sam has been making the living room his own personal bedroom. Before bed, Emily approached him trying to talk.

"Sam look…I'm really, really sorry. I just want to make things right." Emily pleaded.

"Emily…What are you sorry for? You can't be sorry for nothing. Sorry for what?"

"Sam would you please stop asking me that? It seems like no matter what answer I give you, it'll never be right." Emily was exasperated.

"That's the problem. You're not giving any answer. I'm going to ask you again. _What_ are you sorry for?"

"Sounding so inconsiderate the other day!"

"And? You can't even bear to say her name can you? It's so hard for you and I can't see why it would be. What else are you sorry for?"

Emily gritted her teeth. He was really trying her patience. Something she's given Sam, Leah, _and_ the rest of the pack plenty of. "Nothing."

Sam shook his head. "You know…You need to realize that just because you're my imprint, that does not mean you can talk to me however you want, say whatever you want, do whatever you want and get away with it. It's not going to fly at all. Before it starts, it's going to end…Right now. When I do something wrong I apologize to you for it. I say what it is and I mean it. I don't say it just for saying it. You need to start over and say what you are sorry for. So please do it again and make sure you do and say it right this time."

"I am not your slave Sam Uley! If you don't like the way I talk then tough!"

"You have it the other way around. I am _not your_ slave Emily Young! I'm sick of you taking advantage of me and being selfish. If you don't like the way I'm handling you and your shit, then that's your business!"

"Get out!"

"Get out?" He scoffed. "I'm leaving!" He headed toward the door, opened it roughly and walked off into the night but Emily was not done yet.

"Have fun sleeping in the woods like an _animal_…again!"

"I will enjoy it. I enjoy it more than sleeping with you!" He shouted back at her.

Emily dropped the glass she was holding. _That_ made her eyes water. "Why don't you go and fuck Leah huh? Go enjoy yourself! Oh wait…You can't because now she's with Jake!"

_That_ was what pissed Sam off and he almost phased. "You stupid, selfish witch! That's the same thing I've been talking about! I wish I _never_ imprinted on you!"

Emily gasped.

"Yeah…How do you like them apples? When you learn to stop being selfish and stop thinking of yourself, then look for me. When you realize what you're sorry for, then look for me. Until then, you won't be seeing me!"

"I never give in first, Sam!"

"Good luck keeping yourself warm at night!"

"Same to you!"

"We'll see about that…_bitch_!" He walked farther away, phased, then ran off into the night.

"Go to hell you abusive asshole!" Even though she knew he was far, she tried anyway because she knew Sam had super wolf hearing. She went back inside and sulked on the couch for the rest of the night.

That same night, Leah was sleeping in her bed, but she was mumbling, tossing and turning in her sleep. She was drenched in sweat and her skin was very cool. She then felt a pair of arms wrap around her waking her up. When her eyes opened, she gasped.

**AN: I know I know. Another cliff-hanger. Who came to see Leah? Was it Jake who heard her from downstairs? Or was it Sam who snuck in? Don't forget to review guys. I won't tell you who, but tell me what and who you think nonetheless. Thanks of reading and reviewing! ;)**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Hey guys! WOW! I Can't believe I reached the 100 mark for my reviews. It's all thanks to you guys. You guys are awesome and I really appreciate it. I love that you're enjoying the story as much as I am. **

**Here's the next chapter. I loved your reviews for the last one. Now I know you guys were hoping it is Jake in Leah's room, but no it's not. Without further a due, read on to find out who it is. Enjoy!**

'**Thoughts'**

'**Communication while phased'**

Sam could not take it anymore as he sat alone with his own thoughts. He thought of the only person he could go to, the only person who would listen. The only person he wanted to see and be touched by. Her window was open when he stopped under it and he climbed up when he heard her fighting in her sleep. He snuck in and went straight to her to wake her up. When he noticed her gasp, he immediately identified himself. "Leah it's me."

Leah almost screamed but did not when she noticed it was Sam in her room. She was drenched in sweat and her skin was very cool against his flesh. "Sam?" Her voice came out sleepily and her face looked sleepy too even though she gasped when she woke up.

"Yes Leelee…It's me. You were having a nightmare and was tossing, turning, and murmuring in your sleep."

She sat up in the bed, wiping her eyes. "No…No nightmare. It's just hard to sleep sometimes."

"Now that you're awake, are you alright?"

"I might have a fever, but I'm fine. Sam…What are you doing here?"

Sam took a deep breath and exhaled. "Emily and I had another fight earlier tonight and I stormed out."

"So you came over for me to make it better? Nice Sam." Leah spat at him.

"I did not know where else to go. It was a really nasty fight; the worst we've ever had. We said some very hurtful things to each other. I actually called her a bitch."

Leah sighed. "I'd congratulate you, but I know that's not what you want to hear. Just give her a day or two, then go home…She'll take you back."

"I can't make things so easy for her. She needs to realize that it's two people in a relationship. She said she's sorry, but does not say what for. When I apologize to her I say what for. She was so nonchalant about everything and it's annoying. Just because she's my imprint does not mean she has to take advantage of me. She is my soul and we're meant to be, but she's got to understand that I'm no pushover. Because I put her in her place, she had the audacity to call me abusive. Can you believe that? The nerve of that woman." Sam said. He was happy he got that out.

Leah sighed. She hated herself for the fact that she did not like to see Sam hurting. She still cared about his feelings and she felt sick at the moment. "You're not abusive Sam."

He looked adoringly at her and took her hands in his. "Really?"

She looked down at their hands and gave his one small squeeze before she pulled hers out of his. "No you're not. You should know that."

"Yeah but she is just…" He sighed. "I don't know what has gotten into her lately. She is not the Emily I imprinted on. It's like she's a totally different person. She can't even say she's sorry for her behavior. I am so frustrated with her attitude."

'Well of fucking course she's a different person, but you never listened.' "Really…Maybe she's just having a bad day or something." She ran her hands through her long, knotted hair.

Sam looked at her and remembered how he used to run his hands through her hair and he wanted to do it now. He took his right hand and did exactly that, but instead of just pulling his hand away, he lingered and massaged her scalp. "No…She's been like this since the first fight. Ever since I told her the truth about everything, including you, she changed." He looked at her intently. "But you never changed on me Leah, even though we treated you like crap, pack included, you still take care of us." While his right hand stroked her hair, he left hand took one of hers.

Leah gulped. Her hair has always been her weakness and as much as she wanted to let him keep running his hand through it like old times, she knew it should be Jacob's hand instead; her hand in his.

Sam continued to speak. "You feed us everyday, make sure we have clothes and everything else. I've kept how I felt about you from my friends. I could not have them questioning me about you and the imprint and everything else related. I never stopped caring about you though. I think that's what has Emily upset…You." He took her into his arms and cradled her to his chest. "You'll always be my first love Leelee. Always!"

Leah's heartbeat was almost nonexistent to his ears, even though it was beating fast and hard. "Sam…You've got to let me go okay?" Her small hands pushed back gently against his chest. She knew this had to end.

"How can I? Won't I always have a piece of your heart?" He asked. He did not like what he heard. He felt like Leah was shutting him out of her life completely.

"You know you will, but Jacob has the rest of it…Like Emily has the rest of yours. I spent the whole morning at his house Sam."

"What? Why? Leelee…I…." He cupped her face with his hands. "I will always love you. Jake will never love you like I did. _Never_!" He exclaimed.

"How could you want me to be unhappy, alone for the rest of my life?"

"I would be upset with any guy you move on with, but Jacob? He has an imprint and he is doing something I should've done from the very beginning of this nightmare." He noticed she did not pull away from him so he brought her face closer to his. "I should've fought for you. The biggest mistake of my life was not fighting for you."

Meanwhile, Jake stirred from his sleep downstairs. He had a feeling something was off; he could not put his finger on it. Since he just woke up, his senses were not as sharp yet. Following his gut, he called out to Leah, his face groggy and sleepy with his eyes only halfway open. He looked so cute and adorable…like a child looking for his mommy. "Lee…Are you awake? I'm coming." The place was dark so he could hardly see anything. He bumped into the wall a few times as he walked.

Leah gasped and shoved Sam back so hard, he nearly fell off the bed. "Get out…Don't ever do this again. Get out."

"What? What's wrong?"

"Jake's awake now _get out_!" She whispered loudly.

Jake was walking up the stairs. "Lee…Baby?"

Even though Leah ran him out of the room, Sam was still happy. 'She did not pull away; she still loves me.' "You did not pull away from me Lee. That's a good sign and I'll be back." He jumped out the window and disappeared into the night.

Jake reached Leah's room and opened the door. "Lee? Are you awake? I heard noises." He said as he walked into the room.

Leah looked over at him, still covered in sweat. "Yeah…I'm sorry. I had a bad dream." She knew it was a lie, but she knew if she told him Sam was there, he would be livid.

"Why didn't you come and get me so I could sleep with you?"

Why didn't you just sleep with me from the beginning?" She retorted.

"Because I know we would not just 'sleep.' We'd have a repeat of what happened in my room this morning. I knew you were tired and had a headache. I did not want to cause you any more distress baby." He sat on the bed; His mind was still a little foggy and he yawned loudly.

"Jake…I'm capable of lying around without starting something you know." She put her hand over her heart as she coughed a little, her other hand raising to her mouth. She was even shivering now, but it was so hot in the room. Her heaters were on. Jake never saw them on since she phased.

"Yes I know, but it's just the effect you have on me. I can't trust myself to be around you for too long without touching you." Despite his groggy state, he saw her cough and he stood up. "Do you need anything? Some water? Orange juice?"

Leah shook her head no. "Lie down with me." She knew this was really unlike herself. She hadn't asked anyone for affection since she and Sam broke up. But Jacob…Her wolf purred at his presence, whimpering in delight as soon as his hot hands touched her. She needed this. Maybe because there was not a lot of time left.

"Okay baby…Come here." He laid down on the left side of the bed and pulled her into his right side and she rested her head onto his chest. "You mean so much…" He stopped as he inhaled. "Why do you smell weird?" His wolf perked up and was now alert.

"I'm coated in sweat…Do I stink?" She prayed he bought it.

"No, but your scent is mixed in with something else. I can't put my finger on it. My wolf is acting up and it's picked up something…Me too." He looked around the room and saw the window open. "Why is your window open?"

"I don't know. I must have forgot to close it before I went to sleep." Leah was lucky Jake was not wide awake and paying attention or else he would've figured out everything and there would have been hell to pay.

Jake looked down at her. "Hm…Maybe the smell is coming from outside then. I don't like it; it's tainting your scent to me. May I close it?"

She nodded. "I'm cold."

Jake got up, closed the window, then hopped back in bed. He yawned again as he pulled her close to him and started rubbing his hands up and down her arms. "Better?"

She nodded weakly. She felt so frail in his arms. Leah Clearwater actually felt delicate…Sick.

Jake sniffed again and could not get that scent out of his nose. "Baby…the scent is still there. Ugh…it'll go away in the morning I hope. Someone wasn't in here with you right?"

"No." She yawned. "You want me to take a shower?"

"No. You're too tired and weak to move. Get some rest; it'll go in the morning." He kissed her forehead and drifted off to sleep. Leah fell asleep before he did, but she still tossed, turned, and sweat some more. Jake woke up again when he felt her distress so he played in her hair, stroked her arms up and down and pressed butterfly kisses all over her face. He also whispered sweet words in her ear. Leah calmed down when she received the comfort. She then managed to fall asleep and slept through the rest of the night.

The next morning, the packs arrived to collect Jacob, Leah, and Seth for patrol. Jake woke up alone in Leah's bed to a knock on her bedroom door. "Yes?"

"Dude it's time for patrol. Where's Leah and what did you guys do last night?" Paul asked. He, Sam, and the rest of the packs were now looking at Jacob with raised eyebrows. Jacob slept with Leah last night.

"Nothing…We did nothing okay? What's it to you anyway? Leah should be somewhere around."

"She's not downstairs." Jared informed.

Then Jake heard her hoarse voice call out to him. "Jake…I'm in the bathroom."

Jake went to the bathroom door. "Baby…Are you alright? Do you need any help?"

"No." Inside the bathroom, door nearly shut, sprawled on the floor in front of the toilet, was Leah. She had a bad night indeed. She groaned, pinned back her hair, leaned forward again as she lost even more stomach acid.

"Baby…You don't sound too good." He opened the door and stepped inside to check on her. He saw her on the floor and stooped to her level. "Leah…You're throwing up. Why did you say you were fine when you're not?" He was really worried, but he did not show it. He knew Leah hated pity. "I'm going to get you a towel." He got up and left the bathroom.

"I've been worst before…I'll be fine."

Jake came back with a towel and wiped the sweat off her forehead and the vomit residue around her mouth. He was rubbing circles on her back too while doing that. "I'm going to get you some water and aspirin, then I'll send Seth in to be with you until I get back."

"No…go on patrol. I'll be fine."

A few moments later, Seth came in to her. He knelt down at her side and rubbed her back. "Lee…you alright? Do you want to lay down? This is the worst I've seen you." He was scared inside, but did not show it.

"No…Seth…Go…Go on patrol. I'll be okay." It was kind of hard for her to speak.

Jake came back in the bathroom with a glass of water and two tablets of aspirin. "Here you go baby. Please drink these for me." He said as he held the glass out to her.

Leah shook her head. "Can't."

"Please Lee…It'll help you feel better."

"Yeah Lee…Please." Seth prompted.

Jared and the others came down the hall and hesitantly peeked around the corner. "Is she okay?"

"No she's not." Seth answered.

"Yes I am. Just go on patrol please. I'll catch up later." Leah argued.

"We'll go Leah…Once we know it's okay to leave you alone so stop trying to run us." Jake said. He hated that she was sick and there was nothing much he could do.

"I'll stay with her for a little while. You guys can go on ahead Jake." Seth said.

Paul sighed. "Damn Clearwater."

Leah just groaned, resting her back against the wall and closed her eyes.

"Alright guys…Let's give her some room; she needs some air. Come on…We'll wait in the living room." Quil advised.

They all followed Quil except for Seth and Jake. Sam lingered by the doorway a moment longer, but left nonetheless. Everyday it got more obvious, the weight loss, the exhaustion, and she was even paler. Their days with her were seriously numbered now. Jake saw her getting worse and worse, but he still cared about her. Leah could be bald and he would still be with her.

"Baby…Is the aspirin taking effect yet?"

Leah pushed herself up off the floor and lumbered out into the bedroom. "I'm going to go back to bed for a while."

Seth and Jake rushed to her side and helped her onto the bed. "It's okay baby…One of us will be right here until you have enough strength to move around."

"Just go…I want to sleep. I'll be okay." She smiled weakly at them.

"I love you." Seth said as kissed her forehead.

"Love you too."

Seth smiled at her softly then left the bedroom to go downstairs to wait for Jake with the guys.

Jake walk over to the side of the bed close to Leah. "Baby…Will you promise me you'll stay in bed and get some rest? Please? Don't come out okay?"

She sighed softly and gave a small nod.

"I'm serious Lee." He wanted to tell her how he felt, but he was not sure. He wanted to tell her something, but was afraid it would come out wrong. He knew it was close to love, but he did not want to say anything yet about it either. All he knew was that she meant a lot to him and he was determined to figure out everything. His wolf was on edge at seeing her sickness come into play. It was afraid of losing her and so was he, but he will be damned if he did not help her and rescue her. He bent down and pecked her lips. "I'll be back soon."

Leah gave him a weak smile as he walked out. Soon the pack left the house, phased, and headed off to patrol. Jake was worrying about Leah nonstop as they treaded up the path that led to the border. 'I really hope she's okay. I should go back to her.' Jake thought as he continued to walk up the path. Seth walked over to Jake and rubbed his left side in comfort.

'I'm sure she's okay…Try not to worry about it.' Jared encouraged. He did not want to admit it, but now, even he was scared, worried, and upset.

'Leah is strong; she'll be alright. It's definitely not her time.' Quil joined in.

'Leah's too strong-willed to be sick for too long.' Embry added as well.

Sam was very worried about Leah. His mind flashed through his memories of her from the time they first met to when they ended and everything in between.

Jake turned to look at him and he growled. 'Cut it out Sam.'

Sam ignored him and his mind flashed to last night.

When Jake saw that, he was pissed. His body went stiff and he tensed. He was growling and snarling viciously. 'You were with Leah last night! It was you! It was your scent that I smelled in her room you fucking bastard!'

Sam grinned wolfishly at him and had the audacity to look smug. 'What? Leah didn't tell you? Yeah…I was with her last night. So what?'

'What?' Jake walked up to him and got right in his face. 'I told you to stay away from her. You really want me to break your fucking hands don't you? I make good on my promises unlike you. I am going to fulfill them right now you asshole!'

Sam did not back down. In fact, he pushed himself closer to Jake. 'I only went to her to talk Jake. That's all we did…Talk.'

'Yeah well from your memories, it did not look like it was just talking.' Jake managed to see Leah withdrawing from Sam, but he just kept touching her. 'When I get my hands or should I say paws on you, you're going to be sorry.' Jake growled out.

The others were stunned at Sam's bold move from the night before and could only look on in aghast. Seth was the only one smart enough to try to talk some sense into Jake. He knew Jake was serious and would come through on his promise if he did not do something. 'Jake…Stop it. Now is not the time. Don't! Leah is home sick remember?'

When Jake heard Leah's name, he started to soften, but then Sam flashed back through his memories again and it made Jake and his wolf go crazy. 'You son of a bitch! I am going to castrate you when I get a hold of you!'

'Yeah well I will not hesitate to fight back. Leah was mine first and I don't give a fuck about what you think. She's my friend too.' Sam exclaimed.

'Friend fuck!' Jake shouted as he snapped his jaw at Sam.

But that was when they made a key mistake. Being so caught up in their issues, they forgot about the job at hand. Jake and Sam got taken head over heels by two vampires when they got slammed through trees. They'd never even smelled the scent, felt the danger and there were more.

'Fuck!' Paul snarled out loudly and rushed forward as fast as he could to meet one of the upcoming threats.

Jared tried to run to Jake and Sam to see if they were okay, but he got slashed from an ice cold hand through his hind quarters instead and shrieked out a loud whimper. 'FUCK!'

When the pack looked around, there were about thirteen of them. The pack was outnumbered.

'Oh shit! Jared!' Seth attacked the vampire who slashed him and ripped his head off from his head, then tore each limb off. One down…twelve to go. Just as he finished with the vampire, he was swiftly attacked by another and was slammed against a tree. He hit his head hard, passed out, then phased back to human and was unconscious.

'SETH!' Paul cried out.

'SETH!' Quil screamed out as well. 'Embry…Cover Seth.'

'I'm on it. Someone needs to find a way to Jake and Sam.' Embry reminded as he ran over to Seth.

'They're waking up and they're fine.' Quil revealed.

Jake ran back over to them. 'Guys…Where's Seth?' He panicked when he did not see him. 'I can't hear him. Where is he?' He shouted. He knew Leah would be devastated if anything happened to Seth.

'Embry is with him.' Quil informed.

'How many of them are out there?' Sam asked as he came running back to them.

'We've got to take care of this fast.' Paul said. He tore into the nearest bloodsucker, killing it, but getting his back nearly torn to shreds by two in the process for his trouble.

'There were thirteen of them, but Seth ripped one apart. That's how he was attacked.' Embry revealed.

Paul just ripped one apart so there were eleven of them now. The vampires were snarling. They weren't out for blood, they were out for death and nothing more. Plus, the wolves smelled repulsive to them anyway. Jared growled and dragged Paul closer to the group with his one injured limb. He did not last long in the battle though. A vamp took advantage of his injured state and made quick work of his leg by snapping it completely. Jared howled out in pain, then was forced to phase out. His leg was showing bone and blood.

Jake managed to take out the same vamp that took out Jared by snapping it's neck and ripping it from it's shoulders. He then swiftly attacked another one and did the same thing. He tore into the bodies, ripping them apart into pieces. 'Quil…cover Jared…Now!' He ordered.

Sam was holding his own. He managed to take out one. There were eight more left, however, with Seth unconscious, Jared and Paul injured, the packs were still outnumbered. Paul was still phased in wolf form but had long since slowed down. Soon, he got cracked over the head hard. He passed out cold instantly and phased out beside Jared who was teetering on the edge of consciousness because of blood loss. Quil had to cover and guard the both of them at that moment.

'Come on Sam, Quil, and Embry. We can take them. There's four of us and eight of them. If we spread out and each take two, we should be alright. Don't underestimate them though. Some may have abilities.' It was so ironic because even though there were two packs, Jake fell into alpha mode perfectly and everybody listened to him like it was the most natural thing to do. They did not even realize it.

'Right!' Quil affirmed.

Jake and the others knew they had to hurry or else the ones they ripped apart would have time to replenish themselves together. The vampires were eyeing them hungrily. Then out of the blue, they dived for the smallest which was Quil. He could not move too far, being that he had to guard Jared and Paul. He saw the two vamps lung for him. He managed to take out one, but got taken out by the other one in the process. His right arm got broken and torn really bad. The vamp slashed him in the stomach which resulted in him getting a huge gash and then he was finally slammed on the ground. Quil screamed in pain and agony. He phased out and stayed on the ground unable to move.

'Quil!' Embry screamed.

'He'll be okay guys don't worry. He managed to take out one so there are seven of them now.' Jake said. He knew if they focused on their fallen brothers, they would lose concentration on the threat.

The vampire who took down Quil practically howled out it's anger over it's slaughtered friend and then turned to Embry with nothing but revenge in mind. He extended his claw-like arms and dived for the spotted wolf, going right for Embry's throat.

Embry managed to dodge it and swiped it's face. The vamp was stunned and Embry took the chance to pounce on it. While Embry was tearing it apart, another one snuck up on him and smashed his right side, crushing his shoulder blade and ribs. He howled out in pain and phased out. He then whimpered and lost consciousness.

'Embry!' Jake shouted in pain and anguish. The vampire Embry was attacking, pieced itself back together and the remaining seven eyed Jake and Sam like they were their feasts.

Even though they were arguing earlier, this was a matter of life and death and they had to work together on this because they had only each other now.

'Sam…We have to do something…Come up with a plan really fast. Any ideas?'

'We've got to use some strategy.'

Too bad vampires were not patient creatures. Knowing they had to come up something fast and that the vamps were coming closer and closer, Jake and Sam decided to jump in head first but with their backs to each other. They figured if they stayed close together, they could win. They pounced on two of the vamps unexpectedly and ripped their heads off their necks, then immediately attacked two more and killed them. Before Jake and Sam could catch their breaths, they were the ones pounced upon. Jake was thrown and hit a tree. Sam was triple teamed and suffered gashes all over his body. Then he was thrown into the same tree Seth hit and then landed next to Seth, bleeding all over the forest floor and over him.

'Sam!" Jake cried out. He pulled himself up, aimed for another vamp, swiped it's face, gauging out the eyeballs. He then latched onto it's neck and thrashed the vamp from side to side until it can no longer move. He was happy the other vamps were distracted with Sam.

Speaking of Sam, he was bleeding badly. His cuts were deep and he was losing blood fast. He lied there breathing slowly and lightly.

Meanwhile the other two vamps attacked Jake from behind. He felt discs in his back slip; one of his hind legs shattered and a pair of teeth tore into his shoulder, but he was lucky the teeth did not latch on or else venom would have sunk into his body. He let out a blood curling scream of agony and fell to the forest floor not moving.

At the Clearwater home, Leah jumped out of bed. She heard Jake's scream through her wolf and a shiver surged through her entire being. Her brothers, Seth, her lover…Something was wrong. They were quiet in her head. Some could not be heard outside of dream-like visions and that was _never_ good. She got up off the bed and ran like she never ran before and dammit…Leah ran fast, her heart pounding and stomach heaving.

The two remaining, capable vampires stared at the human pack. Jake and Sam especially, who could still look at the faces of those who were about to kill them.

'Sam…I know I have never told you this before, but despite everything, I love you brother.' Jake said. He also thought about Leah and how happy he was that she stayed home. She was safe and he was glad he would die knowing that.

'Yeah…If we don't make it out alive, I want you to know that I love you too, despite everything.' Sam said in return.

The two remaining vamps were slowly coming toward them. The third blinded one began to move and stumbled around snarling, but he can still hear and he made his way over too. Soon, one hand poised to kill, aimed above both alphas' heads and then it came down. However, the blow never came. It seemed so unreal. There was the smash of vampire skin instead and a growl so familiar to them both.

Jake jerked his head up and his wolf went crazy with happiness at first, then it started to snarl and growl because of the danger he knew Leah was in. 'Lee…What are you doing out of bed? Get out of here; you're in no position to fight.'

Leah ignored him. Her wolf was angry that the bloodsuckers hurt her brothers, Seth, and Jake. It wanted vengeance and she was going to get it. Leah moved with grace as she finished off one of the vamps she shattered by ripping it limb from limb and finally chewing it's head. After doing that, her body was extra weak. Jake and Sam wondered how she will be able to move and attack the other two. The two that remained, came together. Being that one was without eyes, his sense of hearing enhanced largely. The two attacked her and claws were swinging and Leah was getting torn up. Bites were being aimed and there was blood splatter beginning to taint her beautiful white fur. It was quite gory-looking. Blood was everywhere; Leah's fur was soaked with blood and her whole coat was red. Blood was flowing from her body like a water fountain, but Leah was not going down without a fight. She garnered the last of her strength and managed to kill the blind one and injured the other by taking out a leg and an arm then she collapsed.

Jake screamed out her name when he saw Leah's fallen body on the ground, not moving. 'Leah! Baby! Get up! Please…Get up!'

Leah lied there unmoving and the injured vamp started to advance toward her. Leah whimpered, her presence in Jake's mind started to fade away and soon, she phased out and gosh…The damage was awful.

Jake gathered the last of his strength and maneuvered himself upright to stand. He tried to move to her as quickly as he could before the vampire did. Soon he was able to intercept the vampire and dispose of it. His attention then turned to Leah. He phased out and then dropped his body next to hers. "Leah! Baby! Please wake up!" Not seeing or hearing her move, it hit Jake that he was going to lose her. His feelings for her finally manifested and he realized that he loved her. He _loved_ her. "Leah…Baby…Please wake up." He listened closely and he could not hear her heartbeat. He pulled her body onto his. Her eyes were shut, her body not moving. He cradled her body close to his. "Leah…I love you! I love you so much! Wake up! Wake up!" Jake cried out desperately. He could not lose her, not when he just found her and realized he loved her. Flashes of her smile, her touch, her kiss, her body, her everything went through his mind. The images moved so fast. 'My Lee, my love, my everything.' All of a sudden, Jake let out the loudest, anguished, scream he could muster and one hand grasped his chest. The imprint bond perished and then the tie Jake felt for Renesmee was no more. He looked down at Leah again and tried to coax her awake.

"Leah…Baby…Wake up please. I have something to tell you. Please…wake up." His voice sounded so broken, but he would not lose hope yet. Finally after what felt like forever, her eyes fluttered open. They were dim and fading. Her mouth moved to speak, but no words came out.

"I love you Lee. I love you!" He said frantically. "I love you so much! Please come back to me. Come back to me please!" He shook her heard gently. "Lee…The imprint bond is broken. We can finally be together the way we want to. It's gone! I love you…come back to me please." His voice turned into whimpers and tears started to run down his face. He pulled her body up closer to his and started to sob. She was limp in his arms and her eyes were closing again. Oh Gosh! But Jake's animal within, his wolf was yelling at him to do something…Something to stop this. It was saying to give her strength…Mix souls, mix blood and power…anything to make her stay. It screamed at him to save her…To save his mate, but Jake needed to calm down and just think. 'Listen to your wolf Jake…Just listen.' He quieted down, closed his eyes, and heard his wolf speaking. He concentrated on his wolf's power and mind. He then opened his eyes and they were so black but bright, which indicated it was his wolf. He closed his eyes again then opened them after a few moments and they were back to their normal light brown. He looked down Leah. "Lee…I know what I have to do now."

He took Leah's hand where there was a deep gash that was bleeding heavily and he positioned it against one of his own gashes. He rubbed them together and the contact of their blood caused a spark. Soon, Jake felt a tingling in his body as he transferred strength to Leah. The tingling sensations increased and the blood from both him and Leah intertwined together and led one trail over their bodies. The animal in Jake's chest started to howl in pleasure, in appreciation, and hope. For a moment there, he could visualize the white creature that was Leah's within. He felt warmth spread throughout his entire body, from the sting of his wounds to the tips of his toes and all of a sudden a small thump he missed hearing so much…Leah's heart. His body was still as the blood trail went around in circles all over their bodies. Leah's body began to glow and her heart rate increased. Then she jerked up almost violently, followed by a few coughs and thank God…her eyes were open.

Leah was feeling beyond strange at that moment. Her body was warmer that it felt in months…In a year.

Jake could feel, he knew she was in pain. He did not feel it, but he could feel that she was. She was shocked, frightened, and worried.

Leah's wide blue eyes slowly looked up at him. "Ja…Jake?"

"Yes baby I'm right here. I'm here baby. Talk to me." Jake encouraged. He felt her strength, her power and how much more powerful she could be. He felt everything and he knew she could feel his too.

"Jake…You're okay." Her voice came out in pants, her eyes opened and stared at their entwined hands.

"Yes baby…I'm fine. What about you?"

The blood trail was still traveling over their bodies, encasing them in a blood red glow. Leah did not answer, her chest was still beating up and down quickly and her eyes widened at the sight of the blood. "What?"

"It's our bond baby…Our connection. Our wolves connected together. The imprint bond I had with Renesmee is gone…dissipated. I love you Lee." His voice was tender and soft and there was so much love in his eyes.

The packs, even in their unconscious state, felt such a pull of energy, that it brought them around. Leah stared at him with a shocked face. Then she kissed the skin of his neck only because she could not reach his lips.

Jake rubbed her face with his and leaned down to kiss her lips lovingly, caressing her bottom lip sweetly. He then leaned back slightly to look deep into her eyes. "You're my everything." He declared.

"Love you." Leah replied.

The rest of the packs started to gather their strength and tried to get to their feet.

"I love you…So much. Stay with me okay?" Jake was so happy and his wolf was highly elevated in her love and his. It started to purr and howl softly at their closeness.

The blood trail was making it's last lap around their bodies, making them glow brighter before it finally faded out and Leah and Jake were back to normal, but very weak. There were no marks, scratches, or blemishes on either of their bodies.

The packs just stared with wide, confused, shocked eyes. Their healing powers increased slightly in speed because of their friends' power that was emitted from them. Soon they were moving around a lot more and were able to stand…All except Seth.

Leah raised a hand and caressed Jake's cheek.

He held her hand there firmly. "Hi…" He said softly.

"Hi." She smiled weakly up at him. "I think…I'm naked."

Jake chuckled softly. "Yeah…I'm naked too. In fact, all of us are."

"Well…Maybe we should get up."

It registered that she was indeed naked and his wolf growled softly, not wanting any of the other guys to see her that way. "Wait baby…Let me get something for you first." He remembered his shirt that was tied on the string around his leg. He untied it and put it on her. "Now you can stand up baby."

Leah's lip quirked into a smirk. "Really."

"Yes…really." Jake confirmed.

Leah stood up and Jake was happy to see that his shirt fit her like a mini nightgown. Leah remembered the others and Seth and her eyes widened. She turned her head frantically looking for Seth. "Seth?" She walked over to the guys and saw that they were alright so she continued pass them looking for her brother. "Seth?" She shouted.

Seth was the only one not standing. He struggled to sit up. His head was spinning. "I'm right here Lee." He said hoarsely.

Leah turned in his direction, ran to him, and knelt down next to him. She wrapped her arms around him quickly and tightly. "Fuck Seth." She bit her lip. "When I got here and saw all of you like that…" She trailed off.

Seth tried to wrap his arms around her too, but he was too weak. His arms dropped to the ground. "Lee…" He trailed off, clutched his head with both hands and moaned out loud.

Leah's heart dropped. "What? What's wrong?" She was already frantic and on the verge of panicking.

He clutched his head tightly. "My head…it hurts really bad." Inside his head was pounding. It felt like something was hitting it repeatedly. His head felt too heavy for him to lift up again. "Lee…I love you." His arms and body went limp then he passed out in her arms.

"Seth!" All that could be heard was Leah's screams of fear in the forest.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: Hey guys! I love your reviews. They make my day when I read them. Well…here's another chapter. Let's see if Seth is okay or not. Enjoy!**

'**Thoughts'**

'**Communication while phased'**

"Seth!" Leah continued to scream as she held his body close to hers. "Someone run and get Carlisle!"

Even though Jake was healed, but still kind of weak, he nodded his head at her, phased, and went in search of Carlisle. The others were slowly, but surely healing and Embry walked over to Leah and Seth. He had a limp, an arm on top of his stomach, but he was okay. He was getting stronger by the second. Seth lied still, unmoving. The only sign he was alive was the slight up and down movement of his chest from breathing, even though it was weak and labored. Leah had him cradled to her chest, the worry clearly visible on her face. She was hoping and praying it was just a concussion.

Embry knelt down next to her and comforted her by rubbing her back. "He'll be okay Lee. I know he will; he's strong."

"Yeah…He is. You should've seen him take out that vamp. He was awesome." Quil smiled wistfully in remembrance.

Leah gulped while trying to listen to their words of support. She leaned back into Embry's chest and hand, which was a surprise actually, but she did not take her eyes off of Seth. Jared, Paul, and Sam were all quiet. They did not know what to say so they just stood there and let Quil and Embry do all the talking and comforting.

"What's taking Jake and Carlisle so long?" Quil asked frustratingly.

As soon as those words left his lips, Jake and Carlisle showed up. Edward showed up too, trailing behind them. Carlisle immediately went straight to work without a second thought, however, Leah growled and gritted her teeth out of pure instinct.

"Leah…I know it's hard, but you have to let Seth go and put him to lie down flat on the ground. Carlisle also needs some space to work." Jake said. He was standing just a couple feet away from them.

Leah gritted her teeth some more. "I don't…" Her wolf was growling, snarling; The leech was touching her family.

Jake walked over to her and knelt down to her level. "You want Seth to get better don't you?"

Leah looked down in thought, fighting back tears. She then stood up and it took a lot out of her to finally step away from her brother.

Carlisle resumed working by taking out his heart monitor and checked Seth's heart rate. He then lifted his head and examined it thoroughly. "Well…his heart rate is good, but he has a medium sized bump on the left side of his head. I will need to take him back to the house so I could examine him more closely. My equipment and everything else are there. May I? One of you can carry him, but it's up to you to bring him."

Since Seth was in Jake's pack, then Jake was the one to make the decision, however, Leah was Seth's older sister and the one in charge of him.

"Of course! Lee?" Jake turned to her for clarification.

"Will you fucking hurry?" Leah shouted. She had no time to waste. Her brother needed help and she did not care how he got it.

Jake picked up Seth and ran with him to the Cullens, with Leah, Carlisle, Edward, and the rest of the packs following him. They reached the house in record speed. The other members of the Cullen family were out hunting and the packs were grateful for that. They could not deal with them at the moment, especially Bella and Nessie. Jake knew he had some explaining to do, but he planned to do that later when everything was settled down. Jake carried Seth straight into the examination room and Carlisle went to work.

Leah was panicking internally and was trying to hold it together but it was hard. Seth's her baby brother; the _only_ family she has left. She refused to lose him. The others waited outside downstairs in the living room while Jake and Leah stayed upstairs with Seth.

Leah was getting anxious. "When will you know if he's going to be okay?"

"I'll know in a little bit." Carlisle answered. He hooked Seth to an IV, ran a CT Scan, then gave him some morphine for his pain. "It seems like the head injury is slowing his healing. That's why I gave him the morphine. His body is in distress."

"But will he be okay?"

"The next half an hour will be crucial so I'm not sure, but I'm going to find out." He closed the curtains and continued working on Seth. A chair was placed in the room for Leah so she sat down on it and waited impatiently. She was fidgeting and looking at the closed curtains a lot. Jake was standing right next to her lending her his support.

Forty-five minutes later, the curtains opened and Carlisle beckoned Leah to come forward. He took a deep, unnecessary breath then spoke. "Well…He will be okay, but he suffered some serious damage. He has a concussion, but also a contusion, which is a bruise on the brain. His brain is swollen, thus resulting in the lump on his head."

Leah gulped, hands twisted together in her lap. "We have to wait for the swelling to go down or does he need surgery?"

"No…He does not need surgery, but yes…We have to wait for the swelling to go down. He may wake up in a day or two or maybe longer. I must warn you though, there could be some serious symptoms with this concussion." Carlisle informed.

Leah groaned, holding her head in her hands. "Amnesia, memory loss, brain damage?"

"Yes…Memory loss which is amnesia, nausea and vomiting, loss of consciousness, not thinking straight, confusion, tiredness, always drowsy, and many headaches.

"Oh God!" Leah put her hand to her mouth stunned. Her eyes were as wide as saucers. She was scared and very worried for Seth.

"I will give you some Tylenol for his headaches because he will definitely be getting them. He is to take two tablets every time he gets one. When he wakes up, he is to take it easy. No patrolling, no exercise, or any heavy activity. He is to be with someone at all times for the next week."

She nodded quickly. "Done."

Carlisle continued. "He is to eat a light diet but given the size of you wolves' appetite, that's not possible so watch what he eats then. No greasy foods for now and don't let him sleep too long. Don't let him sleep past nine hours. Between those nine hours, wake him up every two hours just to ask him a simple question to test his memory. Is that clear?"

"Crystal." Leah confirmed.

"I would like to keep him here to monitor him until he wakes up. Is that okay with you? The others won't be back for a couple of days since they went hunting. So you don't have to worry about encountering them." Carlisle informed.

Leah sighed and nodded. "Can I stay with him?"

"Sure you can. He'll need to see a familiar face when he wakes up. I'll have Edward bring in a bed for you to lay down on to rest." He then walked out to go find Edward. As soon as he walked out, Leah turned to Jake with wide, panicked eyes.

"Jake…What if he's got brain damage?"

He wrapped an arm around her. "He won't. He'll be fine when he wakes up. Seth is a strong young man. He's a fighter. I was not able to see him fight since I was thrown through the trees, but from the guys' memories and mind, he did well. I am so proud of him."

Leah nodded weakly. "I can't lose him Jake!" Her eyes were filled with tears but she refused to let them fall.

"You won't okay? You won't!" Jake held onto her for the rest of the night until it was time for him to go check on his dad. His dad was very important to him since he's the only family he had. He knew he had Rachel, but they're no where near close. He kissed Leah goodbye and promised to meet her the next day.

The next day, Jake went over to the Cullens to check on Leah and Seth. The rest of the guys were at the house cleaning and putting things in order. Edward expected him so he opened the door before he even finished taking the last step. Jake nodded at him, but Edward kept his eyes on him a little longer. Jake could tell from that look that Edward knew what was going on. 'I know you know Edward and I will surely speak with Nessie and Bella later about everything when this whole thing with Seth settles down.' He communicated to Edward in his mind.

Edward only nodded. As much as he knew, his darling Nessie won't be happy, but he had to respect Jacob's choice.

The two of them went straight to Seth's room. Leah was sitting by his side, not moving, just holding a hand and staring at him. Carlisle was checking his vitals and changing the IV. She asked Carlisle the question she hoped he'd have the answer to. "Do you know if he'll be okay yet?"

"Well his vitals are stable so that's a good sign. As for being okay, we won't know anything until he wakes up."

Leah was so worried. She was there with him for the night and there was no change. She did not know what to do. If she was to lose Seth, a part of her would go with him. She could not lose him; he was all she had left. She knew she had Jake, but Seth was her only brother, her only family. 'Should I tell Sue? Ugh…She'll be too busy jumping on Charlie's dick to care anyway.' Leah focused on Seth again and threw Sue out of her mind.

Jake went over to Leah and sat next to her. "Baby…He'll wake up soon. He's strong. Would you like to know what happened? I know Quil and Embry gave you a brief story, but would you like to know everything?" He asked softly.

Leah shook her head. "No…I don't want to know how some stupid vampire got the drop on my brother while I was home in bed like a fucking slacker. So no, I don't want to know."

"Okay baby. I just thought you'd like to hear how heroic he was, how he saved Paul's life. I know it's hard not to, but try not to worry too much. Seth will be fine; just have a little faith in him. By the way…How do you feel? Would you like Carlisle to examine you? To make sure your body is one hundred percent healed?"

"I don't give a fuck."

Jake sighed deeply. "Leah…Baby…You should let him look at you. That way, you know you are strong so you could be with Seth. You don't want to pass out and Seth wakes up looking for you do you? I'm sure he'll want your face to be the first thing he sees when he wakes up. Please baby?"

"Jacob…I know I'm fine. I can feel it, but Seth's not and I'm not going anywhere." Leah declared.

Jake sighed. He knew how stubborn Leah could be so he knew better then to argue with her. "That's the same thing you said last night and you were not. Promise me if you feel the slightest discomfort you will say something? As soon as you promise me this, I'll drop the subject."

"Yes Jake…Whatever." Her eyes didn't dare leave Seth.

"Okay." He kissed her cheek and left to go talk to Edward.

Leah stayed silent and stayed with Seth.

Jake met Edward downstairs in the living room and went and sat in the chair across from him. "Alright Edward…Let's get this over with. You have a moment?"

"Always Jacob."

Jake rolled his eyes. "Of course you do. Well…I know you have seen and read my mind, whether it was accidental or not. You are aware of everything aren't you?"

"Yes I have…I just wonder why. I thought you were happy."

"Wonder why what? I was satisfied but not whole. I am happy _now_ though…with_ Leah_. I have the woman of my dreams with me and the imprint bond is broken…Gone. I hope you got that from my mind."

"Yes…But how? I saw random pictures of memory…" He trailed off.

"Well…To make a long story short, my wolf, which is a part of me, wants Leah. Being that I always liked and admired her from afar, my wolf helped to intensify my feelings for her. My wolf was never content with Nessie; for some reason, it disliked her. Leah's scent changed to me and it was calling to my wolf and in turn, me. I pursued Leah and made advances on her, but she fought me at every turn because of the imprint with Nessie. The bond would hurt every time I was making my advances on Leah or if I was away from Nessie for too long. However, whenever I inhaled Leah's scent, the pain lessened over time. The need to see Nessie decreased likewise. When we got attacked, all of us went down and out, save for me and Sam, but he could not move. Because of our connection to Leah through our wolves, she was able to know we were under attack and she came to help even though she was very sick. She took out two vamps but was taken down by the last one and she was hurt badly. I managed to use up the last of my strength and took it out. Leah was badly hurt and I almost lost her, thus resulting in me realizing my love for her. I had a couple flashbacks of all the ways Leah and I were and together with my feelings, I was able to break the imprint. My wolf saved her life by telling me to mix my blood with hers. With our blood combined, she came back to me and she was healed. Now she has my blood running through her veins. I'm an alpha so my powers are extraordinary compared to the others. She's my everything now…my mate. So there you have it. I know I said short, but anything to do with Leah is anything but." He chuckled.

Edward gave him a soft smile. "I understand Jacob…I admire your will for following your heart. Like I said once upon a time, under different circumstances, I might like you."

"I know…Same here. Now I don't have to come here and see your unattractive face and smell your vile scent anymore. I will talk to Nessie, but can you speak to Bella? I'm not sure she's going to like my decision and I'm not up to hearing her whining. On second thought, I _know_ she will not like it." He smiled knowingly.

Edward chuckled softly. "I'll try my best to sway her. I'm quite fond of Leah myself. She has a very…Insightful mind."

"Yes…She does. She's a very interesting young woman who I'll never be bored with. Honestly though…I know Bella and I are best friends but we live in different worlds now and I have been through too much for her. I am now concentrating on myself and my happiness. I hope she understands that. If Bella wants to see or talk to me, she'll make the effort. Not me…Not anymore. The treaty still stands and it applies to everyone and I mean _everyone_. Do we have an understanding?"

"Yes we do Jacob. I certainly hope our allegiance remains strong, however, even though you may not come around as often?"

"Yes…It will remain strong, even though I may not be around as often. You can always call if there is something wrong or whatever you think we should know and we'll do the same for you."

"Thank you Jacob."

"You're welcome." He looked at the time. "Well…I'm going back upstairs to be with Leah and Seth. See ya!" He got up and ran up the stairs.

Meanwhile Leah was still sitting in the same chair by Seth's side. She did not move an inch. She was sitting there talking to him and hoping he would wake up to the sound of her voice. "Hey bro…It's me…Uh…I really miss you so please…please wake up soon okay?" She swallowed roughly, trying to fight back her tears. "Please Seth…I need you baby brother. Who's going to stick by me when Sue drops by for a visit? Who's going to tickle me nonstop to get his way? Just wake up. When you do, I'll be right here waiting for you. I may not say this much but I love you." She gave his hands a gentle squeeze.

Jake walked in and over to her. "Baby…let's get something for you to eat. You've been sitting here for hours. You should eat something to keep your strength up."

Leah shook her head. "No…I don't want to leave him."

His wolf purred roughly at her stubbornness. It could sense her tiredness. He tried again. "Leah…I know you don't want to leave him, but it won't help when Seth wakes up and sees you tired and exhausted. He's not going to feel good about you not taking care of yourself on his behalf. Plus, we'll be right downstairs anyway. We'll go and come right back."

"No…Jake I'm not going." The wolf inside her was growling it's argument. It really did not want to leave it's brother either.

Jake's wolf was irritated now. "Why do you have to be so stubborn? This is your health we're talking about. Seth would not want you to be acting like this. Think about Seth. What would he think?"

"He's not fucking thinking much of anything right now Jake!" For the first time, he heard the growl of her wolf as she turned to him. "So just go do whatever it is you got to do and let me stay with my brother!"

"Dammit Leah!" He growled right back at her. The alpha in him refused to be spoken to and growled at by the female.

Meanwhile, in the midst of their disagreement, Seth finally began to stir at the noise. Before Jake could say anything further, he saw Seth moving and his eyes widened.

Seth moaned and his eyes were fighting to open. "Lee? Jake? Guys?"

Leah gasped and swung back around. "Seth!" She bit her lip. "Hey baby…You okay?"

Seth continued to moan and tried to sit up. He was still trying to open his eyes and he finally did after three minutes. "What's going on? Why are you guys fighting? Where am I? What happened? I feel like I've been hit by a Mack truck."

Jake rushed over to his side; he helped him sit up and he fluffed the pillows.

Leah laughed weakly. "Something like that honey." She took her brother's hands in hers. "Jesus Seth…I was so worried."

He looked around. "Where am I?"

"At the Cullens. What do you remember?"

He grabbed a hold of his head. "My head is pounding and I'm starting to feel dizzy. I'm just getting images, but they're fuzzy."

Leah gulped, hoping the memory loss wasn't too severe. "Jake…Get Carlisle…Tell him Seth's awake."

Jake nodded and left to go get Carlisle.

"I'm getting flashes…Flashes of us phased in the woods. What happened? Did something happen that I ended up here?"

Leah nodded. "Yeah…" She smiled weakly. "You got hit pretty bad by a vampire…Slammed into a tree or so I've heard."

"I must've hit something pretty hard because my head is the only part of my body that's aching to bad. What did Carlisle say?" Seth inquired.

"He's on his way in now."

Carlisle was just walking in as Leah answered. "You're awake. How do you feel?"

Seth scoffed. "What do you think? My head feels as heavy as an anchor and it's pounding. I'm trying to think back on what happened."

"Just think hard Seth…How did the vampires get the drop on you guys?"

"No…don't think anymore. It'll cause your head to hurt more. You're thinking too hard and that's why your head is hurting so much. What did he tell you so far Leah?"

"Nothing really. Just that he had a bit of trouble realizing where he was."

"That's normal. He remembers you and Jake didn't he?"

"Yep."

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here." Seth said.

"He remembers you so that's a good sign." He moved to examine Seth's eyes and monitor his heart. "Are you getting any images or flashes of memories that is most recent?"

"Yeah…but it's all out of order."

"That's good. You don't have amnesia, but your brain is trying to get itself in order. That's why the images are flashing so quickly like that."

"So he's going to be okay?" Leah inquired.

"Yeah…it looks so."

"What's my diagnosis?"

"You have a concussion and a contusion. A part of your brain is swollen, but it should go down in a couple days. Because it was your brain that received the trauma, your healing has slowed down. But you should be as good as new within a week. However, you cannot phase at all for the week you are healing. You will need plenty of rest, but Leah have to wake you up every three hours when you are sleeping to ask you a random question about your life and what happened in the forest. This should only be done for the first two days you're home. You will be getting some headaches and I gave Leah a bottle of Tylenol for you to take for them. Oh and before I forget…Limit your greasy food intake okay? Not too much oily foods." He looked at both Leah and Seth. "Are the requirements and regulations understood?"

"Crystal clear." Leah answered.

Hearing the rules about the food, Seth grimaced and answered grouchily. "Yes I understand."

"If you are not feeling better by the end of the week, come back and see me. Even if you are getting better, still come to see me so I could clear you. Is that understood as well?"

"Yes." Leah and Seth answered simultaneously.

"Thanks Carlisle. I'll make sure to keep my eye on him." Leah promised.

"You're welcome…Not a problem."

Jake was quiet throughout the whole exchange. It was a good thing he was a witness. That way, he would remind Leah and Seth if they forget or slack off.

"May I go home tonight?"

"Yes…Is it okay if I take him home?"

"Sure…Just remember the rules okay? Seth…I'll see you in a week. Oh and no heavy lifting either. I know you guys can see yourselves out whenever you're ready. See you soon." He said and then walked out the door.

Leah smiled weakly and wrapped an arm around her brother. "You're going to be fine bro. What do you want for supper? I can cook anything that's not greasy or at least try to."

Jake was already on the phone talking to Embry and telling him that him and Leah were bringing Seth home soon.

Seth wrapped his arms around her as well, hopped off the bed, and they proceeded to walk out of the bedroom, down the stairs and towards the front door. "Anything Lee. You're a great cook so I'll eat whatever you make."

Jake loved seeing sister and brother bonding and followed closely behind them. He nodded his goodbye to Edward.

Edward nodded back politely. Even he was happy to see such a pleasant family reunion.

"Anything you want Seth." She rubbed his cheeks and kissed the top of his head.

Not used to Leah being like that with him since he was fourteen, Seth whined. "Lee!" His cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.

Leah giggled softly. "I almost lost you so I'm allowed to embarrass and baby you now." She stuck her fingers into his ribs, giving him a little tickle, followed by his delightful laugh. No matter how old Seth got, he would always be her little brother whom she loved very much.

Jake chuckled at the siblings' display of their interaction. He had not seen that in a long time.

Seth turned serious and stopped suddenly to face her. "I just remembered something. Enough about me…How are you? I almost lost you too…Or am I going to lose you soon?"

Leah gave her brother a soft smile. Instead of answering him, she lifted his hand and pressed it to her chest, where Seth felt a stronger beat then he can ever remember.

His face turned into a huge smile. "I don't want to bust my chops here, but what exactly does this really mean? Don't tease me Lee."

"Jacob did something…I'm still not sure what exactly, but he helped me. He saved me."

Seth's eyes widened and he turned to Jake. "Really?"

Jake nodded his head yes.

"Thank you Jake." He took his hands from around Leah and gave Jake a hug. "Thank you so much. I knew there was a reason to believe in you. I knew there was a reason why I admired you so much. You're my best friend Jake…No scratch that. You're my brother."

Jake hugged him back. "Thanks for believing in me buddy. It means a lot." They came apart. "I love your sister and I give you my word that I will take good care of her."

Seth was feeling so much joy and happiness, but all of that became too much and his head started to hurt slightly and he winced.

Leah caught the wince and her arms went back around him immediately, hands rubbing his back. "Hey…You want me to phase? I can carry you home on my back if you like." She smiled weakly at him.

Wanting to be strong and not a bother, Seth shook his head no. "I'm okay…I can make it. Just stay close please. As soon as we get home, I'll take two tablets of the Tylenol and go to bed."

Leah nodded her agreement. "That's fine." She put her arms around his shoulders, supporting her baby brother all the way home like she did all her life.

Jake was walking behind and kept a close eye on them. For some reason, seeing Leah be so supportive, gave a delightful jolt to Jacob Jr. He wondered what it would be like to see her supporting his pups. His cock twitched again and he fought back a groan. His wolf was growling with want. It wanted to dominate, claim, and mark Leah. He took a deep breath and inhaled her scent. It was stronger and much more alluring. It smelled like the sea breeze with a mixture of strawberries and pineapples. "Soon." He whispered and continued to follow the siblings home.

When they arrived home. The packs were waiting with supporting arms and lots of healthy food and drinks for Seth. The boy got spoiled rotten.

Seth looked around at all of his brothers and was almost brought to tears by the warm welcome. "Hey guys!" He smiled widely.

Quil was the first to come and greet him. He lifted him in his arms from Leah's and hugged him tightly. "Welcome home. I missed my video game buddy. How are you feeling?"

Seth pulled away from him. "I'm okay…just a slight headache for now."

"Hey bro…Glad to have you back." Jared patted his shoulder.

"Thanks Jared!"

Next was Embry. He came over to him and rubbed his hair in affection. "Good to have you home."

Paul smirked and clapped him on the back. "Hey little man! Good to have you back."

"Thanks guys."

Sam walked up to him and surprised everyone by giving Seth a huge bear hug, then quickly stepped away. "Welcome home Seth. Good to have you back. Job well done." He turned to Jake and Leah. "Jake…Leah…How are you guys?"

"I'm fine." Jake answered.

"I'm fine too." Leah brought Seth over to the couch to sit down and then she went and sat on the counter in the kitchen and faced all of the guys. "Now boys…Let's check over our averages here. From what I've heard, there were thirteen vamps. One for each of you…And I took out two. Kiss my damn feet bitches."

"Wait a minute…I took out three so you kiss _my_ feet." Jake announced.

"I did too so you and I are even Jake." Sam declared.

"Yeah well I have one more than the others." Leah smirked. Even though the two alphas were at the top, it did not matter. She did better than the others _while_ she was sick. "Add to the fact that I was not even feeling well." She teased.

The guys rolled their eyes and ignored her. Leah just smirked in response.

"That was pure luck Leah. They caught us off guard. If it weren't for those two macho men over there…" Embry pointed at Jake and Sam. "We would've been more alert."

"Embry…Why'd you have to go there?" Seth reprimanded. He did not want to hear or see another fight. He was not in the mood. "I just got home and I'm tired so please…let's leave this subject alone and just eat."

Leah's face softened to a warm smile and she took Seth up a plate of honey-garlic noodles and broiled beef, with a side of potato salad. It was told to her that Sam made it. She remembered Sam was an excellent cook. Some of the guys did have some skills in the kitchen, but it was only Sam, Seth, and Jake.

Seth's mouth started to water. "Wow…this looks and smells good Lee." He dug in as soon as Leah handed him his plate and drink on a tray.

"You can thank Sam… He made it."

"Seth…Remember what Carlisle said." Jake reminded.

Seth paused. "Sure, sure." He smiled and went back to eating.

"Hey…That's my line." Jake laughed. It was good to see everyone in such a high spirits especially after what they went through.

All the guys got their plates and dug in to the delicious meal. Leah smiled then looked toward the door as it opened.

**AN: Another chapter done. What do you guys think of this chapter? I had a lot of fun writing it. So…Who do you guys think was at the door? Review and you'll get a clue…not the answer but a clue. Here's one now…it's more than one person. **


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: Hey guys! You are the best! Your reviews rock! Now before we go further and I should have done this from the beginning, but this story will have some OC's in here. Don't worry…they have a couple small roles to play. They are actually the key to helping Leah get closer to her brothers, but it will take some time. **

**A shoutout goes to my beta MidnightStarr. She is the best and have helped me with everything. Her input is very valuable and she has amazing talent. Mad love goes out to her. Now onto the next chapter! Enjoy!**

"Something smells fucking good." It was Kyle and Leah's other friend from Makah. They walked through the door like it was something they did on a daily basis. There were more of them, but only Scott and Kyle came over.

Leah grinned and wrapped her arms around Kyle as he gave her a big hug. "Hey man."

"Hey sexy." Kyle returned.

"Hello smurfette." Greeted Scott, another friend from the crew.

Leah cracked a smirk. "Fuck off squirt."

Scott just laughed and gave her a hug likewise.

Jake and the rest of the pack tensed and they stopped eating. They were caught off guard by this. The atmosphere got very quiet and Jake raised an eyebrow at Leah. The pack all remembered catching Leah and Kyle fucking on the cliffs. That was not a good memory and being that Kyle was La Push's drug dealer, they could not stand him or his friends.

Jake was acting the worst. His wolf was growling and snarling at Kyle, especially when that day flashed through his mind. That was the last time he ever saw him so to see him now after all that time was very unnerving. He just stared at Kyle without saying a word and when Leah hugged him, it made him tense even more.

Kyle shrugged at Jacob. "Calm down man. It's not what you think."

Leah laughed and boy did she laugh. "Chill out Jake…it's cool. Kyle's my second brother."

Kyle wrapped his arm around Leah's shoulders. "Yeah man…That's my girl right here."

'Easy for you to say.' Jake did not like this one bit. Him and Leah never really had a chance to talk about that day. They never had any closure on it and now seeing Kyle and Leah like that was pissing him off. He hated that son of a bitch. His wolf did not like him either and it was making him become highly aggressive. He walked over to Leah, pulled her away from Kyle, and planted a heavy, long kiss on her, showing everyone just who she belonged to. He was content when Leah responded the same way. He then pulled away leaving Leah wide-eyed and breathless. Her mouth was slightly hanging open. Jake growled at Kyle softly. "Remember your place asshole." He walked back over to his place at the table, sat down, and proceeded to eat. It was only because of Leah, Jake did not rip him apart.

Kyle whistled and looked at Leah. "I knew they hated me."

Scot laughed. "That's harsh man."

Seth decided to add in his piece. He would never forget that on the cliffs, seeing his sister high and drugged up, acting like she did not have a care in the world. He was still a little shaky on it and even though Leah said she was sorry, it did not erase the emotional and mental pain he went through. "Don't rub it on." Out of all the guys, Seth was the friendliest of the packs. Even though he could not stand Kyle and the others, he respected Leah's decision to have them in her life, as hard as it was. "Know your place…No joke. Got it?"

Kyle was still not agreeing with them. He kept telling them to calm down. "Calm down guys…Seriously."

Leah looked at the packs. "He means well so just chill guys."

"Don't tell us to chill. Leah…You know how we are so don't start." Seth turned to Kyle and Scott. "I'm speaking to you and Scott and I'm waiting for my answer."

"I think that's up to Leah." Kyle said.

"Don't start shit Kyle." Leah answered.

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Fine…Whatever."

Scott, however, was a feisty guy and he took nothing from nobody. "_My place_? What do you mean? Explain to me here now."

Jake answered this time. The packs left Jake and Seth to do all the talking since they're the ones closest to Leah and she would most likely listen to them. "Scott…you don't want to know so just be cool and hurry finish your visit with Leah so you two can leave." He growled out.

Scott sighed. "Whatever." He picked up one of his Starbucks cups of coffee from the cup holder and handed it to Leah. "Here you go sweetheart…I bought you your favorite…Vanilla Mocha Cappuccino."

"Whatever back." Jake replied and continued eating. He kept an eye on Leah and Kyle though. The other guys were quiet and still tense, but not as they were before. They stuck to their little corner and talked among themselves while Leah entertained Kyle and Scott. Either way, the easy, calm, and fun atmosphere they had before they got visitors was gone.

"Thank you Scott. That's sweet of you."

Jake hated them, especially Kyle. 'How would Leah feel if I brought Nessie over here huh and say _she's cool_? I'll deal with her later.' He thought to himself. He glanced around at his brothers and saw that they were happily eating and chatting with each other. Him on the other hand, continued to keep an eye on Leah and her _guy friends._

"So…The crowd is going to the beach tonight. You in? We'll get drunk and have a great time like we always do. I already bought you a case." Kyle announced.

"I can't. I have to stay home with Seth." She smiled weakly at him. "Reschedule practice for next week?"

"That's a long time."

"Yeah…I'm not dying anymore so we have all the time we need." Leah informed.

"True." Kyle smirked. "Keep your case?"

Leah nodded. "Yeah…Keep dad's guitar in your trunk. We'll finish what we can next week, on the off-hours from patrol and work." All of her friends in Makah knew of her and the packs' secret. Being that they were her friends and were there for her when her brothers weren't, she confided in them.

"Sounds good to me." He leaned down and whispered into her ear. "I got you some pills."

"I can't take those right now man. I don't know if I can at all."

Jake perked up at that. He heard what Kyle said and he got even more agitated. He saw the way Kyle whispered in Leah's ear and heard everything that was said. His left foot started to shake like he had bad nerves or something.

Leah and Kyle continued their conversation. "Then I'll keep them for you." Kyle glanced at the packs, then looks back at Leah. "I have some stuff to talk to you about."

"Text me."

"Nope…I'll wait until you can come back out. Do you have work tomorrow?"

"Yeah…I'm working from nine until five o'clock."

"We might drop by. Rory's van is out of the shop."

Jake's whole demeanor changed and his body went rigid. His grip on his fork tightened. It tightened so hard that the fork snapped in half. The sound caught Quil's, Embry's, and Seth's attention.

Seth was the first to speak. "Jake what's wrong?"

"Your sister that's what." He growled out.

Quil glanced at Kyle and Leah deep in conversation, talking quietly. "Are you listening?"

"Hell yeah! It looks like he's trying to keep Leah involved with him somehow and is trying to get her back on those drugs. Ugh…I am so pissed right now. I am trying my hardest not to lose control, but my wolf is aching to get out."

"Jake…Try to calm down. You'll get a chance to talk to Leah when everyone leaves. If you get mad and yell at her in front of everybody, especially her friends, you'll just get her mad and push her away." Embry warned.

Jake took a deep breath and exhaled. "You're right. I'm going to try to stay calm. I just got Leah and I won't risk losing her over those assholes. I just can't wait for them to leave."

"Don't worry Jake. I know what to do. Just watch and pay attention." Seth announced.

Kyle, Scott, and Leah were still whispering, laughing or giggling now and then.

"So…are you getting drunk with us next week or what?" Scott asked.

"Obviously." Leah answered in agreement.

"Damn right. I'll keep your case of beer until then. Just text me or call me and I'll come pick you up." Kyle added.

"That's okay. I'll use the Impala and drive down on my own to the beachfront."

Kyle flicked her nose. "That's fine."

"Lee…My head is starting to hurt." Seth said as he stood up from the couch and rubbed his temple.

Leah immediately went over to her brother, leaving Kyle and Scott hanging. "Oh baby…Let me get your Tylenol. Sit back down on the couch and lay down." Leah said as she massaged his temple briefly, then kissed it. She went over to the cupboard, retrieved the bottle of Tylenol, and removed two tablets. She then pour some water in a glass and brought both the glass of water and the tablets over to him.

If it was another time, Seth would have whined and complained about Leah babying him, but now was the perfect time show everyone, especially that asshole Kyle, where he stood with Leah. "Thanks Lee. You take such good care of me."

"Of course. That's what I'm here for bro."

Seeing that Leah was not going to come back over to them, Kyle moved from his place and headed for the door. "Leah…Laurie is booking our studio with Lafayette. I just wanted to let you know that before Scott and I leave." He said as he opened the door with Scott right behind him.

"Sounds good. I'll see you guys later."

Scott nodded to her and the two boys left the Clearwater residence.

Quil and the others took that as their cue to leave, even though they did not have to. "Well I am stuffed. I better get going. I have to make sure grandpa is tucked into bed properly." He went over to Leah, hugged her and whispered in her ear. "You need to be a little more considerate." He pulled away from her and went to the door.

Leah raised an eyebrow. "But those are my friends."

Jake stood up from the table, puts his empty plate in the sink and then went upstairs without a word.

"Lee…I'll see you around as well." Embry kissed her cheek. "Seth…Get better."

Quil turned to face her. "It doesn't matter. You should've said something to Jake first. That was kind of disrespectful." He said seriously.

Leah went over to Quil. She did not want to talk to him across the living room. "I didn't know they were coming!"

Quil shrugged. "Jake did not know you were still talking to them or still kept in contact with them. It's the principle of the thing. Embry's waiting for me so we'll catch up later." He left with Embry and they both headed home.

Sam was listening quietly to everything and was watching Leah like a hawk. He was still tensed, but relaxed slightly with each passing minute. He stood up from the table, giving Paul and Jared the hint that it was time to leave. "We'll be going now as well. Seth…Take care and get well soon. Goodnight Leah." He gave her a soft smile as he walked past her with Jared and Paul following him.

"Thanks Sam…I'll try." Seth replied to his retreating form.

After everyone left, it was just Seth and Leah in the living room. He just sat there and looked at Leah with a disappointed look on her face.

"Seth…Bro…time for you to head up to bed. I want you to get better." She noticed his look but chose to ignore it.

"No…Not yet. I have something I would like to say to you." He paused. "Lee…What was that? How could you do that?"

"Do what? Seth…They're my friends. I can't just drop them because I'm with Jake now."

"That's not the point Leah. I just came out of a coma and we just got home. You just got together with Jake. You didn't even think twice about letting them come in. What happened to a little discrepancy? Did you forget we once caught you and Kyle fucking in the back of his piece of shit car? We're home celebrating and they ruined the damn mood. You did not even tell them to come back another day. What? Didn't you know what that would do to Jake? To me? That day on the cliffs was horrible for me and I don't think I will be able to forget about that for a while. You were fucking high and out of it, not to mention satiated from sex." Seth was so disappointed and the more he thought about it, he got even more disappointed and he got pissed. "You did not even think what that would do to us seeing him so close to you again!"

The stubbornness in Leah wanted to protest and argue but she knew deep down he was right. She never did get a chance to talk to him about that day, but she did not know how. In addition to that, Seth could not face her for awhile. "Seth…I'm sorry. You guys did not have to follow me you know. Please…Just go to bed before you hurt yourself. I'm going to apologize to Jake."

"No…I'm not done. Stop trying to dismiss me like I'm a child. You always do this and you need to stop." His voice softened. "I love you sis, but you need to learn to think before you speak and do things. We followed you because we were worried. We're your family and that's what family do. If you have not figured it out by now, I don't know when you ever will." He stood up. "Now I have a damn headache; I'm going to bed. Love you and goodnight." He went upstairs without a backwards glance.

Leah sighed deeply. She wished they could see that she was trying. She washed the dishes and then headed upstairs to find Jake. She knew Jake had his own piece to tell her as well so she mentally prepared herself for the coming onslaught. She walked into the bedroom and found Jake sitting on the bed looking furious. Before she could come too close to her, he spoke in a low and hurt voice.

"You know what hurt me the most? You were not even considerate of me and just acted so nonchalant about the whole thing. Your behavior was rude and you did not have any respect for me at all. You were giggling and being all touchy feely and acting like I was not there." He looked toward the window, avoiding her gaze.

Leah heart squeezed. "Jake…Kyle and Scott are just friends okay? Nothing is ever going to happen between me and Kyle ever again, I can promise you that." She sat down beside him on the bed. Her smell smacked him in the face; it was very strong.

Jake was not going to let her get off that easily. "That's not the point." He moved away from her to get some space from her scent. It was very alluring and he would not be able to concentrate. "It's the principle of the matter. You don't know how it feels to remember the two of you fucking. That's all I was seeing in my head at the time. You were high and your moans and groans were echoing in my head loudly. How would you feel if I did that to you with Bella and Nessie? I hardly go over there now and even if I wanted to, I would let you know. It really hurt to see you like that. My wolf was very pissed and I wanted to rip Kyle's head off. I wanted to phase…I almost phased Leah!" He shouted the last sentence with his hands thrown up in the air.

"Jacob…I'm sorry. Please…I won't bring Kyle here anymore. I promise." The wolf inside her was picking up on it's alpha's distress. It hated to be looked down upon.

"Yeah…but you go over there right? I heard your conversation, making plans and all that shit. You didn't even tell him that you might have to talk to me about it. You just went along with it like it was so natural."

"It _is_ natural. They've been…Jake they've been my best friends for like two years now. They've been there for me for everything."

"Yeah…they've been your best friends cause you kept the truth from us…From me. Bella is my best friend too. We've been best friends since diapers. Despite all the shit we've been through, we still are, but you don't see me disrespecting you like that Leah." He was so hurt and angry and so was his wolf. He was trying to calm down, but the whole night kept flashing through his mind along with the two of them fucking on the cliffs that day.

Leah reached out, laying her hand on his. "Jake I said I'm _sorry_. I did not know they were coming. I don't know what else to say to you. You should know things are not going to change overnight."

Jake sighed. "Look…I don't mind you being friends with him, but you have to understand that it's not going to be easy for me or my wolf to accept him. You're right in saying that things won't change overnight. They won't changer overnight for me either. Next time, please be a little more considerate." He started to growl. "I don't want him touching you." He walked over to her, stood right in front of her, and cupped her pussy through her shorts. "Do you understand me?" He snarled out. The wolf was growling out loud through him, but he was still in control.

Leah bit her lip and tilted her head back. Jacob was playing hardball. Well she was not ready to give in yet. "Really? Why not?" She moved her head forward, raising an eyebrow and pushing his hand away. It seemed like the she-wolf was challenging him.

Jake growled, the alpha in him making itself more known and prominent. He cupped her again, but more firmly. His other hand grabbed her right breast and tweaked her already hard nipple. "Why not? Because you're mine and no one else's that's why. No one is allowed to touch you like this. No one is allowed to touch you period…At all…Never." He continued massaging her breast and pussy at the same time. "Do I make myself clear?"

Leah bit her lip again, but she nodded.

"Say it! Say what you understand Leah!" Jake demanded. The alpha in him was seeking her submission.

"No one touches me." Her words were a soft pant.

"Go on." His fingers went to the inside of her shorts and moved her panties to the side. He slid a finger inside her and stroked her. "I'm listening…Continue Leah." He growled out.

She leaned her head forward, resting it in the crook of his neck. "No one touches me…Just you!" Once again, the words were a sweet mewl and she was panting.

Jake loved hearing her like that. He loved knowing he could please her. He added a second finger and now the two fingers worked and stroked her even harder. "Say it louder. I can't hear you and I want you to hear yourself." His wolf was purring at her sound, her submission. "Leah! Say it louder! Now!"

She groaned lowly. "Jake…Please."

Her right breast was also being stroked as well as her nipple. His two fingers were doing wonders inside her. He added a third finger, but it played with her clit. "Leah…I am waiting. Say it louder…Now! Who do you belong to? Who is the only one that can touch you like this? Who is the only one that can touch you at all?" He was growling now, his wolf goading him on. "Answer me!"

Leah moaned softly. "Fuck! You…Just you!" She moaned again.

"Who's 'you?' What's my name?" The third finger tugged on her clit.

Leah groaned again, hips bucking into his hand. "Jacob!"

"That's more like it." His wolf was purring at her submission…At her moans and groans. They urged him to stroke her faster. The fingers inside her picked up their pace and the third finger tugged on her clit firmer, but gently.

Leah was soaring like an eagle in the clouds. She was soaring so high and when she reached her peak, she saw stars and her orgasm shattered her to the core and she cummed so hard. Her head was spinning, her breathing erratic. She never came so hard like that in her life. Her body sagged against Jake. Her small hands clutched at his shirt, mouth open slightly as she breathed soft pants against his chest.

Jake was satisfied; he clutched her head, pulled it back, and put his head between her head and shoulder on her left. He inhaled her intoxicating scent, then pulled back to look at her face. He smiled widely at her. "I'm glad we understand each other." His smile softened. "I love you…You're my everything." He said sweetly and softly.

"I love you too." Leah mumbled as she wrapped her arms loosely around his waist. Her hair was buried into his chest. To his surprise, she wanted to cuddle. She was a cuddler after sex. He was stunned at noticing she was a total closet baby girl.

Jake carried her to the bed and they both lied down. He kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Goodnight baby."

Leah kissed his shoulder. "Goodnight."

Meanwhile, at Sam and Emily's, Sam walked into his house after being relieved by Paul for patrol. It was one in the morning.

Emily was sitting at the kitchen table, wringing her apron in her lap. "How long are you going to stay mad at me?"

"Until you come to your senses that's how long." He walked to the fridge and opened it to get a bottled water to drink. "Until you actually realize how you've been acting." He walked over to the couch which was his bed for the last couple nights. He stripped to his boxers and then lied down flat on his back.

"Sam…Please…I'm sorry." She walked over to the couch and hesitantly straddled his lap. "I'll do anything to make it up to you."

Normally, he would grip her hips, but he left his hands hanging at his sides. Even though the imprint bond wanted him to, he won't. "I am going to ask you for the last time. What are you sorry for?"

"Acting inconsiderate…I know Leah's important." She looked down, her face riddled with shame.

"Do you? Look baby…I love you. You're my imprint and we have an everlasting connection, but Leah and I also have one too because of our past and what we were to each other. You need to understand that she will always have a place in my heart. She is also important to all of us, especially Seth. She's the only family he has left besides us. I mean real blood family to take care of him. Do you understand everything I just said?"

Emily nodded. "I do…It's just…" She sighed. "Sam…You know how much I love you…Sometimes I don't like hearing you talk about Leah."

"Why not? What is so wrong about that? The last time I checked, you were close to her. You two were the only people you spoke about to your friends and family. Unless…You always had a problem with her to begin with?" Sam speculated.

Emily's eyes widened. "N-no…I didn't!"

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow. "Leah spoke nonstop about you to me. You were all she bragged about. She loved you dearly and said she would put her life on the line for you. I guess you never felt the same huh?"

She sighed again. "Well…I loved Leah, don't get me wrong, but she was always so…So frigging perfect. Then she started talking about you on the phone to me…About this amazing guy." She smiled down at him weakly. "I guess I just planned to do some wowing of my own."

That was not what Sam was expecting. He lifted her off him and placed her on the couch and he sat up to face her. "What?"

"What do you mean what?"

"You just said you planned on doing some wowing of your own. What do you mean by that?"

Emily smiled sheepishly. "Well…I always hoped I could get some of your attention when I came to visit. Fate was just on my side." She grinned at him.

"Is that why you did not put up much of a fight? How could you do that? You were so quick to abandon her." His eyes widened in alarm. "Who are you?"

"W-what? What do you mean? It's still me Sam!"

"Don't you listen to yourself when you speak? You hear, but you don't _listen_. It was your motive all along to take me from Leah? So if I did not imprint on you, you would've still tried?"

"I…I wouldn't have made any moves, maybe just show off a little? All girls do that Sam…It's normal. We were in high school for crying out loud!"

"Not all girls plot to steal their cousin's boyfriend! It doesn't matter anyway; it was your intention. You had no respect for her or our relationship didn't you?" He chuckled. "Wow! How many sides are there to you Emily? I've seen the loving, caring, inconsiderate, and selfish sides. Now…I'm seeing manipulative and vindictive. Which side are you going to show me next? Evil?"

"No! I don't have different sides. Sam please…Leah would've done the same thing if you with me back then instead of her!"

"You're wrong…She wouldn't. How dare you say that? She was and is the most selfless person I know. Anyway…It doesn't matter. The fact of the matter is she was with me and your intentions were not good when you first got here!"

"But Sam…It doesn't matter now. Please…We're happy aren't we? It was for the best. Even Uncle Harry and Aunt Sue thought so!"

"Harry only said that for Sue, but he was for Leah all the way. He gave me a hard time too. He told me from the start not to date her and I still did and look what happened. He stuck by her from the very beginning. Sue is a selfish and bad mother who doesn't care about anything but herself and you. But you feel proud of turning her against Leah don't you? The worst part of all this is you never even apologized to Leah. It did not even cross your mind did it?"

Emily was exasperated. "I did! I did apologize, but she wouldn't listen!"

"Well if I was in her position, I wouldn't listen either. Plus, she probably guessed it was fake anyway. You know what? What's done is done. I just don't want to hear you talking like that anymore."

Emily breathe out in relief. "But Sam…" All of a sudden her voice went surprisingly very cold. "You're not innocent either. Let's not forget who was so willing to fuck behind said girlfriend's back." Then she gave him a warm smile and went back to the kitchen to finish baking.

Sam followed her. If she thought she was getting off easy, she was in for a rude awakening. "Yeah…because of this _stupid_ imprint. I would have _never_ felt anything for you if it wasn't for it. I apologized to her and she understood. I took the blame and I explained everything to her. You were oh so willing too. It was _your_ idea to begin with so don't you dare turn this around on me."

"Sam…You never fought the imprint. It wasn't just the draw of the magic. There was something in me, something about me that made you want to drop Leah on her pathetic ass and you know it."

Sam's eyes widened for like the umpteenth time that night. Emily never cursed before. That could not be the same person he was engaged to. "Yeah…You're right. I never fought it and it was the biggest _mistake_ I ever did and it is something I will _always_ regret. But you're the pathetic one. Forced by and gladly accepted the magic into having something somebody else had…What your cousin had. It took _magic_ for you to get me. And guess what…it's _not_ real. You wanted to destroy her the only way you knew how…Me. _Luck_ and _magic_ was on your side. But guess what? She's healed now; Jacob healed her with his love. He _broke_ his imprint. You know what that means?"

It was her turn for her eyes to widen and she growled. "_Nothing_. You _can't_ break your imprint on me!"

"I was going to make up with you tonight, but when I heard you speak and your attitude, I am not in _any_ damn hurry. At first, I was furious with Jacob, but in actuality, I should thank him. Him breaking the imprint gave me some new perspectives on my life. I always thought the imprint was permanent and there was nothing that could be done…At least that was what I was told. Jacob proved the elders wrong so there's hope for me…If I decide to not stay with you. There's hope for Paul and Jared too." He put on his cargo pants and a t-shirt. "When I see the Emily I imprinted on and proposed to, then you can apologize and come back to me. Until then, Leave me the hell alone."

Emily smiled. "Sam…It'll be okay in the end. I know you made the right choice."

"You don't know anything. It will not be okay. You're not you…Or maybe you are. You've just been hiding it until you got what you wanted. My choice was Leah and that's why I've been with her for so long before you came along. Get it through that head of yours and get your head out of the clouds and open you damn eye. Look at the bigger picture Emily." He walked over to the door. "Like I said, when you find the Emily I imprinted on, then you can speak to me. Until then…don't touch me, don't do anything for me, don't even look at me because I can't stand the sight of you." He opened the door and walked out to get some fresh air.

Emily's eyes did not leave him until he disappeared into the darkness. Yes…She was a little worried…but terrified? No…Sam would not be able to break the imprint…Even if he could because he has no one to go back to. Leah loved Jacob now so she knew Sam would stay.

Sam stopped by the cliffs and sat down at the edge. As he contemplated his life, the faces of his imprint and his first love, Leah, flashed through his mind back and forth for the rest of the night.

At the house, Emily did the only thing she knew how, despite her being worried, she baked and baked some more.

**AN: Hope you guys liked this chapter. I had to put in Sam and Emily again. For some reason, I have a lot fun writing them. Don't worry…the confrontation between Jake, Bella, and Nessie is coming soon. Maybe in the next chapter. Review and let me know what you think of this chapter. Jake and Leah are hot or what? Lol! There's more to come so stay tuned.**


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: Hey guys! Here is another chapter. Kudos to MidnightStarr who is my beta and helped make this chapter a success. You're the best girl! Readers…I hope this chapter is to your liking. Happy Reading!**

'**Thoughts'**

The next day, Leah and Jake woke up in bed in a good mood. He went and freshened up in the bathroom then came back in the bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed and just gazed at Leah with a serene smile on his face. She looked adorable with her morning face and hair. He wanted to ruffle it and so he did.

"Jake…Stop that." She giggled which was very uncharacteristic of her.

"You look so adorable and cute in the mornings. Your hair is all over the place and your eyes are a bright blue. You even a have little path of dry dribble by your jaw." He pointed out and laughed.

"I do not." She pouted in the most cutest way. She was being such a sookiebaby and Jake loved it. She was surprised at how natural it felt waking up next to him in the morning. She felt like she could do that everyday for the rest of her life. Of course…she did not know if their relationship had any name yet. They have not discussed it and frankly, she felt like that conversation could wait. The point was she and Jake are together and besides, she wanted to take her time with him and did not want to screw it up.

He laughed at her again and then crawled up to her and stroked her cheeks. "If you did not have morning breath, I would have kissed you in greeting."

She rolled her eyes. "You are supposed to accept me in everything…Even with morning breath." She moved away from him in mocked hurt.

"You know it's not like that baby. I accept you with everything…Even your dribble." He moved forward to kiss her to prove it, but she moved away and laughed at him.

"Gross! You'd actually kiss me with my morning breath and dry spit? You're disgusting." She feigned horror then jumped off the bed in laughter.

"That is so not fair. Some men won't even think of doing that. Consider yourself lucky." He teased.

She knew she was lucky but would never voice it out loud. "Sure, sure." She went into the bathroom and came out fifteen minutes later feeling fresh and ready for the day. She loved her easy back and forth banter with Jake. At least she knew their relationship did not have to be so serious all the time. She went over to him and finally received her morning kiss and reveled in it. Jake knew how to kiss and use his tongue in the most sensual way. She was already getting wet so she pulled away before she could not control herself.

"That was nice. I love kissing you." Jake smiled at her softly then the mood changed with his announcement. He made the decision when he was in the bathroom. "Lee…I'm going over to the Cullens today to talk to Nessie."

Leah froze. Every time she heard of Jake being over there, she felt uneasiness and agitation. Her wolf growled internally. She did not really have a problem with Nessie; it was her mother who was the problem. She hated the way Bella treated Jake and she never passed up an opportunity to remind her of it.

Jake went over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "I'm only going over there to end things with Nessie. I decided I am still going to be her friend. I mean…She has not done anything wrong and have always treated me kindly. It's not her fault for being born and being imprinted on by a wolf…an Alpha no doubt."

She growled softly. Jake was too kind for his own good sometimes, but she loved that about him. He always saw the good in everything and looked on the brightside. "It's not Renesmee…" She trailed off. That was the most ridiculous and stupidest name she had ever heard. 'I'll just settle for Nessie.' "Nessie is not the person I have a problem with…Well not really, but it's her mother. I can't stand her and the way she treats you. I know for a fact she will give you hell once she finds out about you breaking things off with her daughter. She will be pissed that you won't be there with her anymore. When I say 'her' I mean Bella."

"Don't worry about Bella…I'll take care of her. Trust me…I know how to deal with her. Plus she's my best friend. I would at least hope she plays her best friend card right and support me. I don't want to assume she automatically won't." He did not think Bella would stoop so low and get mad at him for doing something that makes him happy. "I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt."

Leah wanted to fight him on it badly, but this was something he had to do on his own. Bella would show her real self in due time and Leah believed that time was bound to happen today when Jake ends things with her daughter. She perked up happily and kissed him chastely on his lips. "Okay…Do what you need to do. Would you like me to come with you for support?" She grinned at him mischievously.

He grinned right back at her. "As tempting as that sounds, I have to turn you down. I can handle it. I'll let you know everything when I get back. I give you my word."

"Okay…I trust you. Shock the hell out of her Jake. Tell Bella all about herself if you need to and don't be afraid to do it." Leah advised. Hell…She would love to get in on that, but it was Jake's place to deal with her. She already couldn't wait until he comes back to hear what happened. She pulled away from him, held a hand, and pulled him forward after her as she walked out of the bedroom. "Come on…Let's go have breakfast so you can do your thing and hurry back. I'm already excited to hear the outcome of it." She had a feeling when Jake comes back, he will be Bella free. Leah knew deep down, Bella was inconsiderate and a complete bitch when it came to Jacob and she knew she will mess up and drive Jake away from her on her own. She could not wait at all and just thinking about it, had her excited.

Jake laughed at her and he followed her into the kitchen. They met Seth downstairs.

Leah let go of Jake's hand and ran to her brother. "Hey bro…How are you feeling this morning?" She checked his head and whole body. She was still a little shaken up about his injury and going into a coma.

"Lee…" Seth whined and his cheeks flushed a beet red, but he laughed wholeheartedly. He saw a little of the old Leah and just let her be. Plus, he liked the attention he got from his sister. "I'm okay…Except I wish I could sleep all through the night. This waking me up every what? Two, three hours? Ugh…it's making me even more tired." He greeted her with a kiss then moved away from her to finish prepare breakfast.

"I know bro, but Dr. Cullen said we need to do it to make sure your memory is intact. It's only for another two more days and then if the results continue to be good, then there won't be any need for it anymore. Just hang on a little while longer okay?" She still went back over to him, ruffled his hair and kissed the top of his head. She moved away from him quickly before he could push her.

"Lee…Stop that. We have company." He could not help but be embarrassed. He hated when she babied him in front of company sometimes.

"Oh quit being such a baby. Just because you're seventeen it doesn't mean I can't coddle you or show you any love." She grinned at him.

Seth stuck his tongue out at her. Jake just watched them in amusement. They always entertained him with their interactions. He sat at the table. "I'm starving."

"Here you go." Seth set a plate in front of him which was full of scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausages, toasts and biscuits.

"Wow Seth…you really outdid yourself. This looks great! Thanks!" He dove into his food.

"Seth…you don't need to be doing too much right now." Leah scolded but still sat down at the table anyway. She beamed when he set her own plate on front of her. "Thanks bro. This is sweet of you."

"Think of it as my way of thanking you for taking care of me since I got out of the coma." Seth said as he sat down next to her on the table.

"It's my duty to take care of you."

"Sure, sure." He rolled his eyes and started to eat.

"I've go to stop hanging out with you because you're always stealing my lines." Jake said. All three at the table laughed and finished their breakfast while they spoke about the plan for the rest of the day.

Couple hours later, Jake found himself on the way to the Cullen residence. He needed to talk to Nessie and end whatever they have and he could not prolong it anymore. His decision to not bring Leah was a good one in that he did not need to add more fuel to the fire. When he got to the door, Edward knew he was coming and opened it before he knocked.

"Hey Edward…Where's Nessie?" He figured he'd get right to the point.

"I do believe she's in the living room playing the piano. She's been looking forward to a visit-" He zoned off when he saw in Jacob's head what he was going to do. "Jacob…You're…Certain?"

Jake looked at him straight in his eyes without blinking as if he dared Edward to reprimand him. "Yes…I am. Leah is my everything now. I don't know if you've ever noticed, but I have never touched or kissed Nessie inappropriately. I never saw her like that. I know she and Bella won't like my decision, but I have to do what's best for me now."

Edward sighed deeply. He knew this would not end well and he was not sure if he should interfere when things start to turn ugly. "You can go on ahead."

"Thanks." Jake went straight into the living room to Nessie, ignoring everybody else. "Hey Nessie…May I speak with you for a little while?"

Nessie looked up at him and grinned widely. "Jacob!" She bounded off the stool and jumped into his arms. She missed him and was happy to see him. She could never see him when she wanted to and was grateful when he came to see her.

Jake hugged her back, but pulled away from her after a moment, the wolf being uneasy in her arms. He held her at arms' length and looked at her seriously. "Nessie…We need to talk."

"Nessie's eyes widened. "About what? I haven't seen you in so long." She said excitedly.

He took her hand and lead her outside so they could have a little more privacy, even though he knew the rest of the family could still hear them. He saw Bella from the corner of his right eye but said nothing to her. "It's about us Nessie." He tried not to smile or look too harsh either. He kept his face blank and as neutral as he could.

Nessie tightened her hold on his hand. This did not sound good and she was already nervous and anxious. "What about us?"

"Nessie…I don't know how to say this but, we can't be together anymore." He pushed her a little farther away from him so he could look at her better.

Those big, bright eyes of hers, filled with tears and grew very wide. "What? Why not? That's not possible Jacob!" She was already frantic and anxious about him leaving her. Believe it or not, she was not anything like her mother and she really did love Jacob. Hearing that from him hurt her very much.

Jake kept a cool and calm voice with her. Nessie never did anything wrong to him and he owed her the right to be honest and decent with her. "Yes it is possible Nessie. I'm sorry but we can't be together anymore. I have never had any romantic feelings for you. I look at you like a little sister."

"But you're not supposed to! We…You're supposed to _wait_ for me! Wait for me to grow up!" Nessie reminded.

"You are grown up; you're seventeen, but then again I am legal and you're not so I guess you are right in a sense. Renesmee…" Jake trailed off.

She perked up at her full name. Jacob _never_ called her by her full name so hearing it from his mouth caught her attention…Big time. She gave him her full attention and did not move an inch.

Seeing her undivided attention made Jake continue. "The imprint is gone; I'm no longer bound to you anymore." There…He said it and it felt very good when he got that off his chest.

Her eyes widened ever further and she shook her head in denial. "What! N-no! How?"

"I'm in love with someone else. I have been for a long time. Something happened and it caused the imprint to shatter." Jake explained.

"Who?" She was curious and although she had an idea, she wanted to hear it from him.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that I knew I had to end things with you. I was with you only to satisfy the imprint bond and since it's gone, I do not want to lead you on anymore. I hope we can still be friends if that's okay with you." Jake really did not have an issue with Nessie. She treated him well and was a nice person to hang out with. She was different…_different from her mother_, but he knew he had Edward to thank for that.

Nessie's heart broke in two; Jacob was truly ending it with her. "It's not fair! I'll change…I'll do whatever it takes!"

Jake felt very sorry for hurting her and he hated to see her like this. "No…Don't change. You're a sweet girl, but you're just not meant for me. You're meant for someone else…someone who will treat you better than I did. You're meant for someone who will love you back one hundred percent." He looked at her and smiled softly, trying to give her a little comfort.

Little did Jake and Nessie know, Bella was standing in front of the window closest to them, listening to everything that was being said. She could not believe Jake was breaking up with her daughter. She closed her eyes for a moment and all she could see was red. She could not take it anymore and raced outside to Jake, ignoring the warning look from Edward.

"Have you lost your mind!" Bella shouted at Jake as she stopped a couple feet in front of him and Nessie.

Jake's body went stiff and he tensed. He was hoping Bella would be understanding about this, but from her outburst he realized she won't be. He let go of Nessie's hand, turned to Bella, and answered her calmly. "No I haven't Bella."

"Yes…you _really_ have! How could you did this to Nessie? Who the hell are you in love with?" Bella was fuming and she saw her plan to have Jake with her for the rest of her vampiric life start to go up in flames.

Nessie stood there without saying a word. She knew of the history between Jacob and her mother and she was intrigued by this confrontation that was happening in front of her. Sometimes she wondered how her mother _truly_ felt about Jacob and if she regretted her choice. She also wondered if her mother wanted her father _and_ Jacob with her forever.

Jake took a deep breath to calm himself. His wolf was growling and already urging him to rip her head off, but he fought to urge to do it. "Bella…Don't speak to me like that. Don't you raise your voice at me. I am speaking to you decently and I expect the same." His voice was low and he looked at her with a blank face.

She ignored him and continued to shout anyway. "Jake answer the question!"

"I said don't you fucking raise your voice at me!" He growled out loudly. He had little patience to deal with this and it was only because of Nessie and her being his best friend, he did not rip her apart yet.

Bella gasped. "Don't you _dare_ growl out at me Jacob Black!"

"Bella…Cullen!" He spat her name out like it was a bitter taste in his mouth. 'Who in the hell does she think she is?' He thought as he looked at her angrily. He could not believe she was acting like this. "_Don't_ fucking talk to me like you own me. You _don't!_ It's none of your fucking business who I'm in love with! It's none of your fucking business what's going on out here with Nessie and I!"

"It _became_ my business the moment you broke up with my _daughter_ for that _tramp_!"

He had enough and all gloves came off at that point. "I _don't_ _want_ your fucking daughter! I _never_ did! I _never_ wanted _you_ either. You were just a means to an end. My girlfriend is not a tramp…_you are_! Like I said…It's _none _of your business! Go back to your leech of a husband. Oh…I forgot…You're one of them now so take your sorry excuse for a bloodsucker ass and go back inside to Edward!"

Speaking of Edward, he was on high alert for any physical violence. He stood up and went to the window to monitor the actions being taken outside by all three individuals. He debated with himself on joining them, but he decided to let them do this on their own. He understood where Jacob was coming from. Believe it or not, he had to put up with Bella for her behavior regarding Jacob when they were feuding for her and he always questioned why she wanted him around so much and why she pushed Nessie onto Jacob so quickly. He realized this confrontation would be full of revelations for him…If there was any.

Bella gasped, her eyes widened and her hands were clenched on both sides.

Jake ignored her for the time being and turned back to Nessie. He wondered how the hell Bella was such a bitch and Nessie was so nice. Her eyes were still full of tears and he felt his sympathy for her and tried to ease her pain. "We'll still be friends okay? I'll drop by to check on you and catch up on occasion. That's cool…right Ness?" He smiled at her softly. He was always caring and looked out for others even if they didn't deserve it. It was not her fault he imprinted on her and brought her into this mess only to get her heart broken. He made up a his mind a while ago to remain civil and be her friend. He thought it would be vicious to just cut her off completely and he was just not that type of guy. He was _very_ grateful he did not touch her in any inappropriate place or had any sexual relations with her. It made breaking up with her much more easier.

Nessie's bottom lip trembled and she gave one last attempt to change his mind. "Jake…Please…Reconsider?"

"I'm sorry Nessie; it won't be fair to you. I know you don't want to be with someone who doesn't love you…Right?"

Nessie sighed. It was no use trying to change his mind because it was obviously made up and whenever Jake put his mind to something, there was no changing it. "Yeah…I guess. You're right." She whispered.

"You'll find love someday Nessie."

Bella just could not stop herself from speaking. "Jacob…I'm warning you. This is a _mistake_!"

Just like that, Jake growled at her again as he turned to her. "No…It's not! Shut the fuck up about it! Now…You can either be happy for me or not be my friend anymore. What's it going to be Bella?" He figured he'd give her an ultimatum because he was sick and tired of her badgering and telling him what to do.

Bella shut up instantly when she heard that; Jake meant business. She has never seen Jake so mad at her and she was bewildered. She wanted him in her life; she _always_ wanted Jacob in her life, but…This wasn't fair. Who could this girl be who stole her Jacob away?

"I am waiting Bella. I've been happy for you _all_ of my life. I've _supported _you in _everything_. Now…It's my turn! If I really am your _best friend_…" He put up two fingers on each hand quoting the two words. "You would support me. So what's it going to be?" He asked again. It felt good to put her in her damn place. His wolf was slowly calming down since it sensed he was handling everything well on his own.

Bella was speechless. She glanced at Nessie for a brief second then back at Jake. "I…I…" She gulped. "How Jake? Just tell me how…When, why, and who?"

Although Nessie was curious as well, she was surprised at how persistent her mother was with Jacob. She acted like he was hers and hers alone and needed permission to do anything he wanted to do. She chanced a glance at her father by the window and smiled weakly at him signifying she was okay. She noticed he was just as intrigued as she was at the scene happening in front of them. She did have an idea of who it was, but she just wanted to hear him say it. She turned her attention to Jacob, waiting for his reply. She figured she would stay out this. It seemed like this confrontation between her mother and Jacob was long overdue.

His voice boomed; Bella was treading on thin ice right now. "Dammit Bella! Why is it so important for you to know all the details? Can't you just be happy for me? If I tell you who it is and you insult her, I am leaving here and _never_ coming back. Do you understand me?"

She steeled herself and nodded. "Okay."

"I am _in love_ with Leah…Always have been. My love for Leah overpowered the imprint. Besides…I never had any romantic feelings for Nessie at all. I look at her like a little sister." He finished speaking for the moment and waited for her response.

Bella averted her head and bit down on her bottom lip _hard_ because she wanted to say something _so bad_. 'Leah's probably just using Jake to get back at Sam or something. The broad's dying anyway, so there's no reason she should ever get involved with anyone. When she's gone, Nessie and I will be right here for him and then things will be back to normal.' She looked back at Jake. "Okay."

Jake burst her bubble with the next set of news he told her. "Oh…and Leah is healed now. She's all better and she's all mine. Be happy for me Bella…Just this once. _If _I do visit and she is with me, you are to respect her. I _will not_ tolerate any rude behavior towards my girlfriend. Are we clear?" His voice was back to normal, but hard as steel. Just the sound of Leah's name from his mouth stopped his growling.

Bella cursed inside her head. "Fine!" What more could she say? Jake laid down the law and if she wanted him in her life, she had to abide by them.

Jake turned back to Nessie. "Thank you for being my friend and helping with the bond while it was active. You saved me from a lot of pain and anguish. I'll see you around okay? You are allowed to call me once in a while if you don't see me." He gave her one last hug.

Nessie hugged him back then pulled away from him. She felt a little better knowing Jacob was not cutting her off completely, but she was still sad. She wiped away a cold tear as she walked somberly up the stairs and into her father's awaiting arms.

Jake watched as Nessie went inside to Edward and he shared a smirk with his once rival. 'I did what I had to do and now you know the whole truth behind everything.' He said to him in his head. He then departed but stopped at Bella before he disappeared into the woods.

Edward smiled softly back at Jacob in understanding and he admitted to himself that Jacob handled everything better than he thought. He was relieved to know he did the right thing by not interfering. Jacob needed to get everything off his chest and Bella needed to realize Jacob was not some puppet she could control. He took Nessie to his music room and tried to cheer her up by playing her lullaby.

Jake leaned toward Bella's ear and spoke lowly with a tinge of disappointment. "I really expected better from you Bella. If it wasn't for you being my best friend, or your father whom I have the utmost respect for, _and_ for Nessie, I would've ripped your head off without a second thought." He leaned away from her ear, but spoke directly to her face with a soft growl. "_Don't_ you _ever_ speak to me like the way you did earlier _ever_ again. Are we clear?"

She crossed her arms. "How could you think I wouldn't get mad Jake? How could you really? This is…It's mockery! It's stupidity!"

"What's stupid? The fact that I finally found someone who loves me and treats me well? The fact that I am not your slave anymore? What? _What Bella?_" He shouted. He knew if Embry was here, he would tell him he was being very patient and gracious with her. Sometimes he questioned why.

"That you…That you think _Leah's_ a better person for you than my daughter. Than…Than me." She admitted.

'Oh…so that's what really has her upset. She's losing me.' He leaned back to stand straight, crossed his arms over his chest, and laughed at her scornfully. Out of all the times to admit her feelings, she chose now to do it. "Leah is _better_ than your daughter. _You?_ What have _you_ got to do with any of this? You have everything you ever wanted _at the expense_ of others. You have a husband, a daughter, and the family you always dreamed of. Don't get mad at me because I am finally getting the kind of happiness I _deserve_."

"I _know_ you deserve happiness Jake, but…But she _doesn't_! You can do so much better!"

"I am doing much better…_with her_. She's better than you and everyone else. She's all I ever wanted and needed." He paused in thought. "You know what? You should thank her. It was because of her I even became your friend again."

"What does she have to do with me?"

"She pushed me away so I went to you instead because you needed a friend and you were a nice distraction for a while, _but_ Leah is who I _always_ wanted. Even when you and I were together or friends or whatever the hell we were, it was Leah all along. If you don't like it, then that's your business and I _don't_ care…Not anymore."

Bella was exasperated and hurt, but she acted strong. She knew she did not treat him very well, however, it was hard to hear it, especially from him. She bowed her head in shame, refusing to look at him. "Then…I guess this friendship is over."

"I guess so and good riddance. That was your choice and all it told me was that you are _indeed selfish_ and do not care about my happiness. Who needs or even _want_ a friend like that? Don't look for me because I not coming back, but I will be calling Nessie though. I'm so glad she has her own phone because if I had to call the house phone and you answered, all you're going to hear is a click indicating I hung up. Have a nice life…Oh yeah…I forgot…You don't have one." With that said, he walked off leaving Bella heaving in dry sobs.

If she was human, she would have broken down and her tears would fall like a river down her face. It hit her then that she lost the best thing that ever happened to her all because of her selfishness.

**AN: There you have it. The confrontation you've all been waiting for. I hope it was to your liking. I really did not want to make Jake a jerk to Nessie. It's not her fault her mother's a bitch. What do you guys think? Did Jake handle Bella well or was he too nice? Review and let me know how you feel. Thanks in advance guys!**


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: Hey guys! I am so glad you liked the last chapter. Bella got what she deserved big time. Lol! Here's another chapter. Happy reading!**

'**Thoughts'**

'**Communication while phased'**

Bella stood there for hours after Jake left. The confrontation with him kept playing over and over in her mind. Jake's growls, the color of his eyes when he was angry and the shouting, they way he spoke to her, and mainly what he said. If she could cry, she would, but she couldn't. The only sounds coming out of her mouth was her heaving and her whole body was shaking like she was having a seizure. 'Have I really lost Jake for good? Have I really treated him that badly?' Deep down inside Bella knew she was selfish, but she would never voice that out loud. As much as she loved Edward, she loved Jake as well, but she chose Edward because he had it all and she knew for a fact she would never struggle like her mother did. She was so happy when Jake imprinted on Nessie since it meant he would be with her forever. She would have him by her side for the rest of her vampiric life. But God was she wrong and she totally underestimated him. She no longer had Jake as her wing man and the one who was always there to fix her problems.

She glanced at the window briefly, seeing Edward there looking at her. This was one of those moments where she was grateful he could not read her mind. She knew his head was swimming right now and she did not know what to tell him. Hell…She knew what she would tell him but did not know _how_. She could not stay outside any longer; Edward would come to get her soon. With a heavy heart, she walked slowly back to the house and straight into her and Edward's bedroom. Even though they did not need a bed, she was grateful they still had one. She laid down flat on her back deep in thought. That scene kept playing over and over again in her head and she could not stop it. It was pure torture for her and the reminder of what she lost was stamping onto her heart like a hammer.

Edward came in the bedroom and stayed silent as he stood on the other side of the bed watching her. He could not help but feel good inside about what happened today. Jacob put her in her place and for once he was on his former nemesis's side. He often got sick and tired of her always hovering over Jacob all the time like it was her he came to see. He loved her with all he had, so why wasn't that enough? 'Is this how Jacob felt when Bella stringed him along when we were preparing for war?' He heard when she questioned Leah being better than her and also when Jacob realized Bella was afraid of him leaving her. He wanted to be furious with her, but he loved her and could not stay mad at her, however, he will tell her how he felt that's for sure.

"Love…How are you feeling?" Edward inquired.

"What do you think? I just lost my best friend."

"Oh…But it was your choice. You chose to end the friendship darling. So what did you think he would have done?"

"Say he was sorry or refuse to let me do it. I underestimated him big time and he walked away." She turned on her side away from Edward's eyes. Ever since he could not read her mind, Edward would analyze her from her facial expressions and tone of voice. He paid special attention and that was how he could come close to guessing what she was thinking.

"Love…you can't expect Jacob to be at your beck and call all the time. You sealed your fate with him today and he meant what he said. You're never going to see or speak to him again."

"Don't you think I know that! You don't have to rub it in."

Edward steeled himself from her outburst. It was on the tip of his tongue to let her have it with both barrels. "I am not rubbing it in; I am just helping you face facts. You acted very out of character today. I could not believe my eyes and ears at your behavior. Who did you think you were speaking to out there?"

"I was speaking to Jake that's who!" She turned to face him. "What do you mean by me _acting out of character_? Besides, I can speak to Jake however I want cause that's how it always was."

"Exactly and he got sick of it. Bella…You were only thinking about yourself. You never even gave a thought as to what Jacob was feeling or anything. Not even Nessie you paid much attention to. _Nessie_ was who Jacob was speaking to…Not you. You actually thought jumping down his throat would get him to listen and do what you say? If you truly were his best friend, you would have known how he would have reacted. You know when Jacob sets his mind and heart on something, there is no changing it." He said firmly. "I never thought I would be for him, but I am on his side and I understand where he was coming from."

Bella's eyes widened for the umpteenth time that night. 'Oh no…Not Edward too.' She sat up and looked at him intensely and noticed he was tensed. Her eyes widened even more when it hit her that he heard when she questioned Jake about Leah being better than her. "Oh Edward…please don't think what I said out there to Jake had anything to do with you. How could you be on his side?" She was near hysterical already.

Edward looked at her like she grew two heads. "Bella…Of course I would think it had to do with me. How do you think I would feel to hear you question _another_ man about his girlfriend being better than _you_? Didn't you bother to think about how I would feel to hear you say that? No wonder Jacob told you off! You were so caught up in worrying about losing him and him not being there for you anymore that you forgot I was right there by the window listening to everything you two were saying. You were being selfish and only thought of yourself while arguing with him. You spoke to him like he was your slave and was suppose to bow to you. What kind of friend does that?"

"I did not mean to speak to him like that; I was just so angry. He left Nessie without a second thought."

"Being angry is not an excuse to speak to a human being like he was beneath you Bella. He only growled at you and shouted back because of how you spoke to him. Left Nessie…Or left _you?_" He asked angrily.

"Edward…it's not…I don't…" She trailed off. She did not know how to voice her words without him being angry and leaving her. She would be devastated as well. She took a deep breath before she spoke. "Edward…You know how much I love Jake so of course him leaving makes me sad. I am sad and would be for a while. I'll never see him again and Nessie has lost a great man."

"_You_ lost a great man…Not Nessie. He'll still talk to her and be her friend…Something you could not even do for him. You really are selfish and now I understand how Jacob felt back when we were preparing for the war. You lead him on while you were _with_ me. You wanted to have your cake and eat it too, but guess what? Your cake is being eaten by someone else…_Leah Clearwater_!" He went over to the door and paused before he went through it. "As pissed off as I am at you, I still love you and will not leave you, but don't give me any pitiful excuse for your actions because it would not fly. I'm going hunting!"

"Edward!" She shouted but he left without looking back. She sat on the bed and only dry sobs could be heard from the bedroom. 'At least he's not leaving me, but his words still hurt.' To be hurt from the two loves of her life in one day was a real blow to her so she just sat there in the bedroom mourning for the love she lost in Jake.

After leaving from the Cullen house, Jake met up with the packs for patrol. He picked up on Leah's smell the moment he phased in. That smell, the smell he loved and adored was stronger and more clear. It seemed like she just phased in as well and when she passed near the rest of the others, they smelled her scent too.

Jake's wolf was going crazy at her smell. He could not get enough of it. He walked over to her and rubbed her all over in front of the others. He noticed his packmates sniffing the air around her so he rubbed her again, but firmly and he growled. 'Baby…You smell so good; I can't get enough of you.' Flashes of the night before went through his mind.

'Jake…Little brother alert.' Seth reminded.

Leah snickered. 'Watch it Jake. By the way…How did it go over at the Cullens? Did you suck it to Bella or what?'

'I'll just show you.' He thought back to the scene earlier and went through it slowly just to make sure they see it correctly. When he was done, there was silence which was very unusual for them. It was Leah who broke it.

'It's about time you showed that bitch who was in charge. God…she was worse than a regular bitch. I ought to go over there and tear into her too. She had the nerve to speak to you like you were a piece of gum on her shoe? That selfish, whiney, unappreciative whore! She was so lucky I did not accompany you or else there would've been another fucking war.' Leah was pumped and so angry. She could not believe Bella acted like that with someone whom she called her best friend. 'That was a new low…Even for her.'

'Yeah she showed her true colors today. I have to admit she caught me by surprise and I thought she would at least be happy for me, but as it turned out she wasn't.'

'Well…I remember guarding the tent and I as much I as like her, she did not treat you well. I can't believe she acted like that. I mean…Was she even listening to herself speak? Anyway…Good for you Jake. I'm glad you stood up for yourself.' Seth cheered.

'I agree. I'm happy for you Jake.' Quil added.

'It was about time! She had it coming. We hated seeing her treating you like some boy toy and taking advantage of your kindness. She took your kindness for weakness and look what happened. She lost you and that's good. Let her suffer and live the rest of her life without you. She'll miss out and know what it meant to have you there. Don't be surprised if she comes crawling back, but then again, Bella should know not to come near you now after the way you guys ended your confrontation. I'm proud of you.' Embry nuzzled Jake's snout in affection.

Sam, Jared, and Paul tilted their heads in acknowledgement and nodded their agreement with his treatment of Bella.

'Yeah…Thanks guys. At least I know for sure I was not too hard on her. Man…My wolf wanted to rip all of her limbs from her body.'

'You should've…It would've saved a lot of trouble and unnecessary breaths.' Only Leah would say something like that. She rubbed his snout and nuzzled his neck.

'Come on Lee…You know I won't kill her, even though I was tempted as hell, but I thought of Charlie and Nessie.'

'You're so sweet; you think of everybody and that's one of the things I love about you. Don't ever change Jake.' Leah nuzzled his neck again.

'I won't.' He nuzzled her back and breathed in deeply. Her scent was amazing and alluring. The night before flashed through his mind again.

'Jake!' Seth shouted.

Leah laughed wolfishly.

'Guys could you stop? We don't need a Rated R show right now.' Quil complained.

'Yeah…I'll think I'm going to puke.' Paul spoke up for the first time since his arrival.

Jared took a long inhale of air. 'Leah…Are you wearing perfume? Because if you are, it's nice. Wear it more often.' Jared spoke up as well for the first time since Jake arrived.

'I think it's cute and all, but no visuals please. Oh and Lee…You smell very nice today. I noticed it when you passed next to me.' Embry declared.

'I'm not wearing perfume.'

'New Shampoo? Your hair is long enough to make a neuse, it would hold smell for a long time.'

'Nope…No shampoo either.'

Jake growled aggressively, got all possessive and stood in front of Leah. 'Back off guys.'

'Really Jacob…That's not necessary.' Leah told his back. She only called him Jacob when she was annoyed at him or if he went overboard in doing something.

'You can't blame me…it's my wolf too.' He licked her whole face from top to bottom. 'You're mine and I have every right to do that.' He snarled as he said that too.

'Ew…No you don't.'

Seth was the only one to not notice her smell or the small amount of tension in the air. Besides, he was still recovering and he felt good to be outside and phased.

Sam on the other hand was quiet as he sniffed the air and his body tensed. His mind was blocked from the others as he thought of how great Leah smelled. 'I wonder…' The alpha in him started to snarl a little and he was startled. 'Huh…That's strange…Maybe I'm just hungry.' He was grateful he was a pro at being able to hide his thoughts. He was doing that since Leah phased for the first time and joined them. He shrugged off his thoughts and snarl and turned to the others. 'Hey guys…Would you like to go hunting for something to eat?'

Leah turned to Sam. 'I'm fine but you guys can go.' She laid down in her usual spot under the trees.

Jake chuckled and growled at the same time. The alpha in him was already irritated about her resistance. It was like a second nature in him to feel like that, which was strange yet normal at the same time. He licked her face again to prove his point. 'You know you like it anyway.' He laid down right next to her, covering her a little from the right side. His wolf was purring at the close contact. 'I'll stay here with Leah; you guys can go on ahead. Be careful and howl if you need help.'

Seth was a little hesitant to leave his sister alone with Jake. He thought Jake might hump her or something. He forgot to shield that thought though and the others caught it.

'Oh come on bro.'

'Well…That's not a bad idea. Good one Seth.' Jake grinned wolfishly.

'I wonder what it would be like to do it in wolf form?' Leah said.

The others groaned, including Sam. They knew Leah was just trying to be funny.

'No!' Jared shouted in horror.

'I swear to fuck I'll phase out if you even dare!' Paul added.

Leah laughed loudly, her tail thumping pleasantly.

'Okay…I've had enough; are we going to hunt or what?' Quil was anxious for a good fight.

Seth growled and let out a surprisingly deep bark. 'Jake! I won't hesitate to rip you apart if you dare try that. At least…Not in front of me.'

'It's okay Seth; I was just playing around.' He got up, went over to him, and nipped at his snout in affection. 'You're my bud; I won't play you like that.'

Seth nipped back. 'I know…Are you still staying with Lee?'

'Yeah…Any time I get with my girl, I'll take.'

Quil was getting impatient so he turned to the other alpha. 'Sam? Let's go please? I can't take anymore of this lovey dovey shit.'

'Yeah…Let's go. Jake, Leah…We'll see you a little later.'

Leah nodded. "We'll be here. I don't know how you guys can eat like that…It's gross.'

'Actually it's not. When we're phased, our animal instincts take over remember? It tastes just like how the real wolves taste it. You should try it.' Seth was excited.

'Wait a minute…Are you even supposed to be eating that kind of food yet Seth?'

'Awww man…Come on.'

'No…Go eat the berries instead.' Leah admonished.

'But I don't want to. I've been eating healthy food for the past couple of days now. I miss my regular food. Plus, Carlisle said I could eat it, but just not too much. Please?'

'Lee…let him at least just once. We hardly ever hunt as wolves anyway.' Jake said in trying to help Seth out. He owed him anyway.

'Well…Fine…Eat the meat around the chest and thighs of whatever you're hunting. Stay away from the ribs and anything that's mostly fat. It shouldn't hurt you if you steer clear of it. _Don't_ overexert yourself…Go for something like a rabbit.' Leah advised. She took her protective sister role very seriously. This was her baby brother she was thinking about.

Seth beamed in a wolfish manner. 'Thanks Lee…You're the best.' He went over to her and licked her face. He then quickly departed to catch up with the others. 'Love you…Be back soon.' He thought to her as he ran to the others quickly. They left but took their time since they heard him and Leah talking about him going with them.

'You guys…_Watch him_.' Jake advised. It almost sounded like an order.

'Sure, sure.' Embry and Quil replied simultaneously.

Leah sighed, which told Jake she was still worried. He nudged her gently. 'He'll be fine don't worry. How has he been lately? It's been what? Two days?'

She nodded. 'He's been good. I wake him up to do the question things and he gets them right for the most part. But still…He gave me a pretty good scare.' She confessed.

'He's coming along right? Is he still getting headaches?'

'No, not really. He was headache free today and most of last night I think.'

'That's a good sign. Try not to worry so much. I know it's hard…Hell I was worried about you all the time when you were sick. I am so glad I saved you when I did.' He was really scared of losing her, especially when he first found out about his feelings.

'Saved me huh?' She smirked. 'Tell me macho man, who was on the ground waiting to die before I got there and kicked ass?'

He smirked right back. "I'll give you that but who was the one to take out the last vamp?'

'I'm still better than you. I kicked ass in my sick state so I'm better than you.'

Jake rolled his eyes in his wolfish manner. 'Yeah I guess so, but who was the last man standing?'

'At the beginning, there was _no_ man standing.'

'Okay…Who was the last one standing last night?' He smirked, growled, shifted closer to her, and inhaled her scent again.

Leah scoffed. 'When we get home tonight, I'm going to suck your dick _so hard_, you'll regret every bad word you've ever said to me…And relinquish me as your queen.'

'We'll see about that.' He got up in her face, growled his alpha growl, and licked her oh so smoothly and tenderly. 'When we get home tonight, I am going to _rock your world_. You'll be puddy in my hands. I'll make you scream and moan so loud, you won't even remember your own name. You'll be dominated, pleasured, and cherished like the worthy she-wolf you are.' He snarled his last sentence and licked her again. 'Got it?'

Leah could not help but smirk and she stood up. Jake knew she was no push-over and she would not give in too easily. She was shorter than him, but that did not stop her from wrapping her jaws around his nose in a threatening, challenging gesture. 'You're not the boss of me, you egomaniac asshole.'

Jake growled again but firmer and louder this time. He loved it when she challenged him; it made his domination of her more pleasurable. He shook her off, flipped her on her back, and towered over her. His hard, stiff, and huge wolf cock was pressing against her belly. 'You feel that? That's what you do to me. When I get inside you, I'll stroke you so hard, you won't be able to walk in the morning.' Her growled again, exerting his alpha dominance and then nibbled on her neck. 'I love you…You're my everything.'

Leah scoffed. 'I love you too, but who says I want to do you tonight? I could be tired for all you know.' She turned onto her stomach again and slithered from under him.

As she was pulling out from under him, he trapped her again with his body. 'Who says I was going to do you tonight? You'll be the one begging me to do you and I won't. You'll get enough pleasure from my hands and mouth alone and you'll want to see what I can do with my cock.' He was so confident and from what he saw last night, he could get Leah right where he wanted her at anytime.

Leah laughed mockingly. 'I'm pretty sure I'm the more talented one here Jake.' Since he was over her, their hind quarters were close so she bucked upward, giving Jake's massive wolfy dick a pleasing jolt.

So now she wanted to play hardball. 'Oh really?' He slid down her body and licked her private regions and she squealed very loudly. She rolled over and shook herself to get rid of the sensation. 'Jake…The pack could be out there watching. We are so not getting into this.'

Jake did not hear her at all; he was too busy smelling around her private regions. The smell was heightened and it was the strongest there so far. Her smell was so alluring that he licked her again, but with more intensity.

Leah whimpered lustily, instincts and wolf inside her were screaming at her to just lie still and enjoy it. However, she still did have _some_ common sense and used her white tail to flick Jake's snout as she rolled back over again. 'I mean it.'

Jake sighed. 'You're right. Let's phase out so we can relieve ourselves. What do you think?'

She chuckled. 'You're so impatient. I'm quite fine staying phased thank you very much.'

'Maybe I could convince you.' Jake licked her again but harder and with a growl.

Leah whimpered.

'Come on Lee…Let's phase out.'

'Fine!' Seconds later, Leah was the tiny human girl under the huge russet wolf, smirking at him and running her hand through the fur on his jaw. "You know…You're adorable."

Jake phased out and stroked her cheek. "You're cute."

She smiled warmly at him. "Love you."

Jake kissed her lips chastely. "I love you too…You're my everything. Do you know that?"

Leah chuckled. "You tell me enough." Her hands rubbed up and down his back, feeling his soft skin. "You're my everything too."

He continued stroking her face and looked at her tenderly and seriously. All traces of his playfulness gone. "Do you know how much you mean to me? I love you so much Lee. I'll go insane if I ever lose you." He then placed kisses all over her face then trailed kisses down her body.

She put one hand behind her head, watching him anxiously.

Jake continued kissing down her body until he reached her soft core. He pauses and sniffed her by breathing in deeply, then devoured her with his tongue.

Leah moaned out loudly in the still forest, knees bending under Jake's assault. His tongue was fucking magic. She had no trouble admitting that. One of her hands wandered into his hair, gripping the short strands tight.

Loving the sounds of her moans and groans, Jake continued his assault on her wet pussy. His wolf loved her sounds and the purrs that were coming out of her mouth. He licked her intensely and took his left hand and inserted a finger into her slippery heat.

Leah's mouth opened in small O, her head tilting back and eyes squeezing shut as she let the pleasure Jacob was inflicting wash over her. She wondered where the fuck he was all of her life, the wolf inside her purring loudly in pleasure. The hand in Jake's hair rubbed at his scalp, massaging his head lovingly.

He took her hand massaging his head as the okay to go on. He pulled back a moment and blew on her mound as his finger stroked her. He then inserted another finger and the two fingers stroked her at the same time rapidly like a scissors. He looked straight at her face and spoke. "Leah…Who do you belong to?" He growled a very strong growl. "Who's your alpha? Say it!"

Leah groaned out in pleasure at his second finger, at the tightness inside her. "Jacob!"

He continued looking at her while stroking her. "Say it again! Now! Who's your alpha? Who are you with forever? Look at me while you answer me!" He was not shouting but the demanding tone was there. The alpha in him telling him to remind her of her place. The wolf was snarling and wanted to dominate so fucking bad. It wanted to fuck her so hard and stamp it's mark on her, but Jake knew if he gave in to his wolf's side, he'll lose it and probably scare her. Besides, something was telling him now was not the time.

Leah bit her bottom lip so hard she made it bleed, the pleasure multiplying as her wolf snarled and howled it's want for Jacob. "Jacob Black!" She shouted as her blue eyes were locked on his soft brown ones.

"That's what I love to hear." His wolf howled and purred at her answer. "You better know who you belong to. Are you ready to cum? Do you want to cum?"

Her hips began to buck up to meet his hand. "Yes! Fuck Jake…Please!" Her eyes closed again, lost in the mind-blowing sensation that was her building orgasm.

Jake was not done yet though. He continued to question her, making her earn her orgasm. "Who is the _only_ one to make you feel like this? Who is the _only_ one who could make you cum? Who is the _only_ one who could _ever_ please you like this? Answer me now or else you won't cum!" He growled out loudly as he added a third finger inside her. All three fingers were moving like a snake quickly. They went in all directions: north, south, east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest.

Leah moaned loudly and her hips bucked even higher. Her hands clawed at the grass, making dirt slide under her fingernails. "_Jacob_! Please!"

Satisfied with her answer, his fingers moved even faster and he bent his head down, licked and blew on her clit.

At that exact moment, Leah's scream bubbled in her throat and waited to erupt, but there was the sound of twigs and bushes snapping.

**AN: Nice cliff-hanger huh? Did Leah get to have her orgasm or what? What or who is the cause of those twigs and bushes snapping? I just had to let Edward get his own piece in with Bella. Do you agree? She had it coming from both men. That will probably be the last time you'll see any of the Cullens. They might show up later, they might not. Review and let me know what you think?**


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: Hey guys! Here is the next chapter. I had to repost it again because I did not know the whole thing was underlined and some parts were in Italics. I hope it's fixed now. If not, then I guess I'll just leave it as is. At least it is still readable…I hope. Let me know. **

**Anyway…On to the next chapter. Let's see if Leah got her orgasm or not and who caught her and Jake. Hope you guys like it! Happy Reading!**

'**Thoughts'**

'**Communication while Phased'**

There was a loud bark of astonishment and surprise and downright hilarity. Leah gasped loudly and sat up, trying to cover herself. Too bad her clothes were yards away from her.

'Oh My God!' Seth cried out.

'Haha…Holy Shit!' Jared snorted out.

Paul put his nose to the sky and howled loudly.

'Wow…Our very own porn show.' Quil said.

'Damn…If I knew this was going to happen, I would've brought my meal and sit down to watch. My own personal porn show starring Jake and Leah.' Embry added.

The wolves all hollered and laughed loudly at the sight. Jake, not ashamed of his actions, growled and snarled and he moved directly in front of Leah to cover her. "What the fuck guys?" 

Paul phased out, sitting down in all his naked glory right in front of them. "Oh chill out Jake…It's nothing we haven't seen before. Go on with the show." He said with a grin.

Seth was not upset, just annoyed. Leah was with Jake so he was not as pissed, but damn…to see them like that was very uncomfortable. He went over to the bushes, phased out, put on his clothes, then came back out to the others. "Damn guys…you couldn't have waited until we got home? No…Fuck that…Until _you two_ got home and I stayed out?"

Jake snarled at Paul. "Fuck you. Even though you've seen it before doesn't mean you can see it now." He turned to Seth. "Sorry Seth…We thought you guys were coming back a little later." He had the nerve to look sheepish at him.

Seth growled lightly at him and just ignored him.

Leah groaned and lied back down, her legs still spread, hair still amiss and breasts still heaving with her chest. "I hate you guys; I was _so close_ to fucking cumming."

Jake covered her and closed her legs. He could not stand the thought of her exposed like that. "That's okay Lee…We'll finish this later."

"Later? You better fucking wait until I leave the house. Hello? Little brother here! Where the fuck are your clothes?" He was getting impatient and his sister was not some damn showgirl.

Leah rolled her eyes, trying to suppress her laugh. "They're nearby and I know you little cockblocker."

"I don't give a shit. Now I am definitely scarred for life." He went and retrieved their clothes, then came back and flung it towards them wildly. Seth really hated this and it was not funny.

"Calm down Seth dang! You'll understand when you fall in love." Jake advised.

"Whatever!" He crossed his arms over his chest and waited until they got dressed. He may be mad but the others just found it funny and entertaining. "You guys just couldn't wait?"

Leah pointed at Jake to indicate it was his fault.

Jake feigned innocence. "What? Me? You're the one begging for it." He grinned deviously.

"Are you sure you want to stop now?" Embry inquired after he phased out.

"I don't." Leah answered.

Paul whistled. "Damn Clearwater!"

Jake snarled loudly. "Hell no…Leah…We'll finish this at home. Got it? No one is seeing you naked and spread out except for me."

Leah wasn't done yet though. There was no way she was going to take the blame for this. "You were trying to eat me out as a _wolf_ Jacob! I win this round!"

Quil finally phased out. "Leah? Begging?"

"No…I started to then phased out and you couldn't _wait_. You couldn't get enough; you were practically hollering for it!" Jake then answered Quil. "Yeah Quil…She begged…Big time." He had the nerve to look so smug.

Seth had enough. "Guys…Stop it! Have some respect for me."

Leah punched Jake in the arm. "I did not. _You_ begged me to phase out."

He grinned sheepishly. "Well I did ask you to phase out, but afterwards, you were all hot and bothered and oh so sexy and just started begging, Jacob, Jacob." He imitated in a girl like voice. Before he could even continue, Seth tackled him to the ground.

"I said cut it out!" He was mildly choking him.

Jake put his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay…I surrender…I'm done. Scout's honor."

Leah rolled her eyes at the scene. "Anyone has the time?"

Quil jumped up eagerly. "Oh yeah…I do I do."

Jake growled at him. "Quil…I am so going to get you."

Quil laughed out loud, phased and ran off. Jake phased as well and chased after him.

Embry turned to Leah. "You see what you did?" He asked playfully.

"What? What did I do?"

Embry pointed to Jake tackling Quil and playfully biting his shoulder.

'Okay Jake…I'm done.' He said while laughing wolfishly.

'Say uncle and then I'll let you go.'

'Uncle!'

They phased out and walked over laughing and joking. Sam just sat there in his own little world. He was still in wolf form and he was pissed. He took a deep breath to calm himself when he caught a whiff of Leah's scent. 'Wow…Leah's scent is amazing.' His wolf perked up and he started to growl. Everyone turned in his direction, wondering what was wrong.

Leah raised an eyebrow. "Sam?"

Sam ran behind a tree, phased out, got dressed, and came back out towards them. "What?" He asked he noticed all eyes were on him.

Jared phased out, got dressed, took the initiative and answered. "You were growling dude."

His eyes opened wide. "What? I was? When?" 'It was probably a reaction to Leah's scent. It's awakening my wolf but how…Why? Maybe I'm just imagining things.' "I did not realize that."

Jake was watching him silently and wearily.

"It wasn't even a quiet growl, it was a loud one." Paul added. He then inhaled and the subject changed suddenly. "Leah…You do smell good."

"Yeah thanks…I've gathered that bit." She sighed. "Seriously…Does anyone know what time it is?"

"Well from the looks of it, the sky is bright but it seems like it'll be getting dark soon. It might be around four or five. Why?" Seth inquired.

"I have a tattoo appointment at seven."

It was Quil's turn to take a deep breath. "Leah…You do smell really good. Are you sure you don't have on a new perfume or something?"

Embry inhaled the air too. "Damn Leah…You smell amazing."

Leah looked back and forth between Quil and Embry. "Thanks."

"Tattoo appointment? I want one too." Seth said in excitement.

"Tattoo? You didn't tell me anything about a tattoo." Jake looked at her quizzically.

"I made it last month." Leah looked at Seth. "Why do you want a tattoo? What do you want?"

Before answering his sister he turned to the others. "Hey you guys…Cut it out. What's with you and my sister's smell?" He turned back to Leah. "I want one because I just do. Besides…The tattoo I'll get is one you will love. Please sis? I'll be eighteen soon anyway. I promise you won't regret it."

She could never turn down her brother so she sighed in surrender. "Do you want to go with me tonight? We'll see if the artist can do two of us."

Seth jumped up and down, smiling widely. "Really? I would love to of course." He walked up to her and hugged her tightly. "You are the best sister a brother could ever have." He released her and kissed her cheek.

"Where exactly are you going Lee?" Jake asked.

"To Forks at 'Customs Designs and Tatts,' two blocks away from Ms. Cleo's grocery store."

"Would you mind if I tag along? I don't want to get one but just to keep an eye on Seth while you're getting yours done. Seth…You need to take your aspirin." Jake reminded.

"Yes as a matter of fact, you do."

"I don't have a headache so I'm fine, but can you hold them for me just in case Lee?"

"Yeah…I'll put them in my pocket-purse."

"Why don't we all just go? It's been too fucking long since we've left La Push for a day. Leah can drive us in the Impala. I'll get in the trunk if I have to." Paul declared.

They all chuckled. "Paul you have a nice truck; we could car pool. That is if Leah wants you guys to tag along anyway. Lee…What do you say?" Jake asked.

She shrugged. "I don't care if they tag along or not. Lucas has a big waiting room. Let's head back and get ready to go."

"Sam are you coming?" Paul asked his best friend.

'I have to figure out why Leah is smelling like that.' "No…I'm going home and be with Em. Have fun and be careful." He warned then left. It was a lie considering him and Emily were not really on speaking terms but co-existing.

Leah rolled her eyes. "Come on guys let's go."

Everyone treaded through the woods and headed home. When they got out of the woods, everyone went their separate ways to go home and get ready. The pack changed, ate supper, then hit the road. Of course Leah drove faster than anyone should have business doing, making the boys want to shit their pants. In the meantime, she was so relaxed and smug.

"Seriously guys…Stop screaming. You know I'm the best driver in all of Washington."

"One hundred on a residential street Leah!" Jared shouted.

She laughed, her head outside, one hand on the wheel, the other in her hair as it blew in the wind from the open windows…Fanning that magnificent smell.

Jake inhaled her scent and his wolf growled. It loved her smell and it made him want to make her pull over on the side of the road and devour her. He took a deep breath again, which was another mistake, but he had to calm himself down. "Lee…Can you please not put your head out the window like that? Your smell is driving me crazy." He growled out and shifted in his seat uneasily.

"No kidding." Jared agreed.

Leah raised an eyebrow. "What is up with you guys?"

"Your smell…It's starting to take an effect. It's strange; I don't know why, but something is off." Quil announced.

"Can you _please_ stop doing that? Pull your head back in dammit!" It was Embry who spoke this time.

"Alright…Keep your pants on…Yeesh." Leah finally pulled her head back in and rolled up the window. She shook her head, sighed, then looked over at her brother. "So…What are you getting?"

"It's a surprise; I'm sure you'll like it."

Leah sighed again. "If it's a naked girl, I'm so going to kick your ass."

Seth chuckled. "It won't be."

"Baby what are you getting?"

"A heartagram on my pelvis, well more on my pubic bone actually. This is only one appointment for me too. I have four others sometime next month."

Paul whistled. "I just got some more respect for you…That'll look hot."

"I agree…That's hot." Embry added.

The others all agreed how hot that would look. All Leah could do was nod. Something was definitely up with the guys. Soon they arrived at a small piercing/tattoo store.

Jake just shook his head. 'All of a sudden Leah is hot? What the heck is going on? I have got to check this out. Leah's smell was always exhilarating, but now it's intoxicating. Something is wrong. I'll have to talk to dad about it.' While Jake was busy contemplating, Leah got out of the car and walked inside with the others following her.

Lucas, the tattoo artist looked up at her from his booth and nodded. "Hey man."

"Hey! Lucas dude, can you do my brother too? I don't know what he wants or if it's big or small. I guess you'll find out if you do him."

"I'm so excited." Seth was very happy. He was thinking about getting a tattoo besides the tribal one even before he first phased.

Lucas turned to Seth. "Hey Seth…What would you like to get?"

"I want to surprise my sister. It's not too big or small; it's just right. I don't want her to know or see it until I'm done. Can you please do her first?"

Leah smirked at her brother's excitement. "You heard the boy."

The others were looking and browsing around the area inside, looking at the different displays and samples. Lucas has done a lot of people and a lot of designs. He only just turned twenty-one too and he was a pretty good artist. Then the door to the backroom opened and Carly, Leah and Seth's cousin, walked in wearing a big grin. "Hey guys!"

Leah smiled. "Hey babe!" They grinned and hugged.

"Carly!" Seth rushed over towards her and gave her huge hug. "I have not seen you in a while. How are you?" Seth was so happy to see her.

Jake was close to Leah; he couldn't seem to stay too far from her for too long.

Carly laughed. "I'm good Seth. Are you getting something done?"

Leah glanced at Jake and smiled, her fingers brushing over his hand.

Seth bobbed his head up and down quickly. "Yeah…I am so excited. I know what I want but I don't want Leah to know until I'm done. It's a surprise she'll love…I hope."

Jake found himself touching Leah on her hipbone with his fingers as well. He could not keep his hands to himself for too long without feeling her. Her scent was also calling to his wolf.

Carly grinned at him. "I can't wait to see it either. Lucas is really good with tattoos and stuff. He's done all of mine, Kyle's, and the rest of the gang."

Leah turned to Jake and rested her head against his chest for a moment, her wolf somehow picking up on the fact that he wanted to touch her. Jake was so content and so was his wolf. He loved the fact that Leah could tell when he needed her. He held her two cheeks in his hands and looked at her lovingly for a minute. "I love you…So much."

Leah smiled at him softly. "I love you too." She then kisses him sweetly.

Jake kissed her back just as sweetly. Him and Leah were in their own little world while Seth continued speaking to Carly and the others were browsing.

"So where've you been cuz? I have missed you."

"Pretty much everywhere…Oh and I aced my math final. I got one hundred!"

"Cool…Congratulations. I'm happy for you. I know you worked hard for that grade. Cuz…Please refresh my memory if you don't mind. How old are you now?"

Lucas signaled Leah he was ready for her after she was done with Jake.

Carly chuckles. "It's fine…I'm twenty now. You're still sixteen right?"

Seth's eyes widened in mocked horror. "No…I'm seventeen!" He then grinned. "One year away from being a legal adult. I know it won't be official until twenty-one, but I'm still excited about making eighteen. I'll be able to make decisions for myself now and stuff you know?"

"Seventeen already? Wow…You're a big man aren't ya? Wow time flew quickly. Yeah…I just hope the decisions you make are good ones."

Leah smiled at the group once more and disappeared into the backroom to Lucas.

"So what have you been up to?" Seth asked. It's been a while since he saw Carly and he always enjoyed talking to her when they were younger.

"Well since I graduated this year, a lot of nights out partying, getting crunk, and getting drunk. I'm just sticking around Makah, then I'm going to head back to college again."

"That's sounds awesome; I can't wait to go to college. What did you study?"

"Well I got my AA in biochemistry and want to go back to get my BA. I'm thinking of doing a concentration in business management. I'm not sure yet, but the thought crossed my mind a couple times."

Meanwhile Jake was browsing around while keeping a close eye on Seth. He was also quiet, but he looked like he was deep in thought.

Paul raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "Why are you so quiet?"

"I'm good…Just listening and looking around. Seth's busy talking with Carly so I'm just waiting for my chance to speak to her. Why?"

Paul shrugged. "I don't know…You're usually not quiet." He looked around at the displays. "Some of these tattoo designs are actually pretty sick."

"Are you going to get one?"

"I don't know…maybe sooner or later."

"What made you choose that Carly?" Seth asked in interest.

"My grades mostly…My chemistry teacher from last semester told me I could really make some good of the science world if I chose to go further into it."

Leah walked out stiffly.

Jake immediately went over to her. "Baby what's wrong?"

Leah chuckled. "Nothing…I'm just sore."

"Where are you sore baby?"

"My hips."

"That is so cool Carly…Interesting. You could blow up something with your mixture of chemicals. Man that would be so awesome!" Seth exclaimed in excitement.

"I already have once or twice."

"Next time please don't start without me."

Carly laughed. "I'll text you."

"Yes please. I could probably blow up one of Leah's teddy bears or a doll if she gets me mad." Seth laughed evilly. "Anyway…since Leah's out now, I'm going in. Nice talking to you cuz."

"You too Seth. I guess I'll see you around."

Seth nodded and turned to Leah. "Lee…Did Lucas say it was okay for me to come in right after you left?"

"Yep…Lucas is waiting for you."

"Okay…See you when I get back out." Seth said as he walked into the room.

Leah turned back to Jake who looked disappointed. "What's wrong Jake?"

He moved closer to her. "I wanted to have a good grip on your hips tonight, but now I can't cause I don't want to cause you any pain."

Leah smirked at him. "It'll go away in a few hours…wolves remember?"

"I do but I just want you to be pain free." He smirked. "Accelerated healing is the best. When I grab those hips, you'll be begging me to loose them." He purred in her ear and blew in it.

Leah giggled, his blowing causing a shiver to shoot up her spine.

"Baby…" He purred again. "May I see your tattoo?"

Unable to resist him whenever he spoke like that, she nodded yes and lifted her shirt up to show him. The heartagram was a pretty dark pink color with curvy arrows designed in flames.

"Do you like it?"

"Hell yeah…It's very sexy and cute at the same time." He blew again in her ear and then nibbled on it. He then put his head between her neck and shoulder and inhaled deeply like he always did. "You smell damn good Lee. My wolf is growling to your smell…sexily."

Leah laughed softly and held his cheeks, pecking his lips before gently nibbling on his bottom one.

Jake responded to her nibbles and did the same to her. He could not get enough of her; he could do this twenty four hours day, seven days a week. Everything about Leah was delicious. His wolf growled again and he suddenly had to urge to make her cum, to make her scream his name loudly in ecstasy. 'Damn…Where the hell is Seth?' His wolf growled it's impatience. "Lee…If we keep doing this, I'll take you right here and now."

Leah kissed his jaw. "Too public of a place."

"I know so let's cool it down a bit cause I don't know how long I can last."

She smiled at him in response and sat down on one of the waiting room benches. Jake sat next to her and wrapped her in his arms when Quil and Embry came over to them.

"What'd you get Lee? Are we allowed to see it?" Quil asked.

She nodded and leaned back against Jake, pulling her clothes down and up so they could see the tattoo. It was sexy indeed; the tattoo stopped just above where it would be considered a much more erotic work of art. Hell…She had to keep herself shaved as it is to keep it looking neat. Quil and Embry looked at it in awe, but her smell reached to their nostrils and they both tensed, prompting Leah to ask them what was wrong.

"You guys okay?"

They looked at each other not sure how to answer. Embry was the one who did after a period of silence. "Huh? Uh…We're fine. You can cover yourself up now." It almost sounded like a demand and Leah raised an eyebrow in question but shrugged it off since they said they were fine.

"Am…Okay." Leah fixed her clothes.

Jake was silently watching them and he was the one who knew them the best. He could tell something was wrong. "Quil? Embry? Are you guys sure you're okay?"

They both looked at Jake, their bodies still tense and they uttered a low yeah and quickly left the waiting area.

"What's up with them?" Leah asked as she watched them leave.

"I don't know but something is definitely off."

"No kidding…I hope Seth doesn't take much longer."

Just as she said that, Seth came bounding out towards them in excitement, but in a bit of pain.

"Show me what you got bro."

Without a response, Seth turned his left arm to her first. It was a tattoo of a wolf, Leah's wolf. It had the same color and body structure perfectly. Under the tattoo had her name and the date of her first phase, a dash, and the word 'forever.' He then turned and showed her his right arm. On that arm, there was a tattoo of another wolf, Seth's wolf and it looked exactly like him as well. It had his date of his first phase, a dash, and the word 'forever' too.

Leah gasped loudly. "Oh my god! Seth…That's…" She covered her mouth with her hands for a moment. "That is so fucking cool. Thank you so much!" She grinned and hugged her brother without hurting him, and kissed his forehead.

"You're welcome. You're my sister and mother in one and it's a thank you for taking care of me…Even when you did not have to." He flushed a little from the embarrassment of her hugs and kisses. Inwardly he loved the attention though, especially from his sister. She did take good care of him and raised him. He would not be the man he was without her.

"Oh Seth…That's so sweet of you. I…" She really did not know what to say.

"Wait…There's more." He turned around and showed her his back. There was a tattoo of their father with his tribal wear on his head. Then under his head, there were his name, the date of birth to the date of his death, then the 'World's Greatest Father' under it as well. "What do you think?"

Leah could not help herself. She grabbed him in another hug and planted kisses all over his face in joy. God knew she loved her father so much and so did Seth. She pulled away from him at arms' length. "It's amazing…He would be so proud." She grinned one last time and kissed his cheeks.

"Lee!" He whined in embarrassment again. "I'm glad you like them; I knew you would. It represents us as a family unit. You're my only sister and I almost lost you. You being sick made me realize many things." He paused.

Leah looked at him softly, her hand comfortingly rubbing his back.

"One being to cherish the important people in your life and never take them for granted. Even though we fight and say hurtful things to each other sometimes, I do love you."

She smiled weakly. "I love you too."

Seth perked up. "Alright…Enough of the sappy shit." He turned to let her go but she pulled him back again.

"You'll _always_ be my bratty little brother whom I adore." She said as her lips quivered cutely close to a pout."

Seth scoffed playfully at her. "I'm ready to go home now; my head is starting to hurt. I guess it's from all the excitement. Can we go please?"

Leah nodded, went to get a cup of water from Carly in the back room, came back and gave the cup to Seth along with two tablets of his Tylenol. "Here you go bro." She could not help but to rub his head sweetly. She could not wait until he got better completely.

Jake was silently watching the two siblings and finally spoke up. He was very proud of Seth and was glad to see the happiness he brought to his sister. God forbid anything happened to him and she lost him. Leah would never recover. "Don't worry buddy…You've been getting them less and less right?"

"Yeah…It's only the excitement of today that's all."

Leah smiled weakly and nodded, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. She signaled the rest of the pack, and they headed back to La Push. It was getting late anyhow. Once they got home, Seth went over to the couch and sat down while Jake went to the phone to call his dad. The others all lounge around on the living room floor and watched some TV. Surprisingly, they were not hungry at all cause normally the first thing they would do is ask Leah for food. Only Seth and were hungry at the moment.

"Are you hungry bro?"

"Not really but I could eat something light though. A sandwich maybe? May I have a turkey and cheese sandwich please? If you don't mind making it that is."

"Sure."

Jake put a hand over the receiver of the phone. "Baby can you fix me one too please?"

Leah nodded, fixing two quick, but large sandwiches for Jake and Seth. "Here you go guys." Her two favorite men in the whole world.

"Thanks Lee." They said simultaneously and immediately dug into their sandwiches.

"You're welcome. I'm going to have a shower." She then headed upstairs. Twenty minutes later, she came back downstairs and she looked so beautiful. Her smell caught their attention and the guys all inhaled deeply. They got hard almost instantly. Jake saw the faces on the guys and he could not help but to growl, then he strolled over to Leah and planted a long, sexy kiss on her. "Hey baby." He positioned his head between her neck and shoulders and inhaled her scent like he needed air. "You smell so damn good!" His wolf growled in agreement.

Leah giggled. "I really don't know what's gotten into you people. I don't wear perfume or anything unless I'm going out somewhere."

"Well whatever it is, it smells lovely so keep wearing or doing whatever you're doing. His hands groped her ass and he lifted her onto him hard. His wolf was growling for more. "It's driving my wolf and I crazy right now." Jake admitted.

The others all stood there looking and their bodies were tense. They loved Leah's smell too and she did look gorgeous. All they could do was watch them.

Leah wrapped her hands around his neck. "Uh Jake…Watch the hands."

He growled again and pulled her onto him some more, their bodies flushed against each other. "This ass is mine for the taking and groping any damn time Lee. Don't ever forget that." He said roughly as he started to caress her ass and she began to tremble. Sometimes he wondered where his aggressiveness came from, but knew it was his wolf. He knew he needed to work on controlling it, but was not sure how.

She groaned softly at the anxiety in his touch. Her wolf was shivering, rumbling softly with the sheer pleasure of it. "In front of my brother?"

That question snapped him out of it though…Well a little. "You're right, but I will have you soon Leah." He said with a light growl and whispered in her right ear. "I'll make you mine officially…Soon. You'll be screaming my name and you won't be able to walk after I'm done with you." He blew in her ear after he spoke those words and Leah shivered again, clenching his forearms tightly.

Seth got up from the couch, tired of seeing the blatant display. Plus the guys were kind of acting weird. "Jake…Not now. Let my sister go please?" He turned to the guys. "Snap out of it; it's just Leah…My sister…Who you've been seeing for a very long time?" He was exasperated. 'Are we in the Twilight Zone or something?'

They all snapped out of it and spread out in the living room again but in different areas this time. Jake finally let Leah go at Seth's plea. "I'm done…Sorry man. She just smells so good and I was just reacting to it or rather…My wolf was."

"I don't know what you or the others are talking about. Leah smells the same; I don't smell anything like what you and the others are describing." Seth declared. "She smells regular to me."

"I guess it's because you're her brother. You don't want to grope her or get the urge to do anything sexual to her right?" Jake inquired. He was actually very serious in asking him that. This weird behavior from him and guys were starting to become worse and become a lot more visible. He has always been aggressive with her, but with her smell, the aggressiveness became _a lot _more intense. 'Since it's not happening to Seth, then that means it's something involving Leah, myself, and the others. I need to talk to my dad soon.'

Seth looked at Jake in horror. "EW! That is gross! No! Why the hell would I do that? It'll take possession of my body by some evil spirit or something else for me to do that. What the fuck Jake?" 'Man I must be in the Twilight Zone.'

"I was just asking; no big deal." He shrugged and let Leah go. After Jake let Leah go, she went to the kitchen and made some coffee, then sat down in the living room on the smaller couch next to Jared with a mug in her hand.

Jared whistled. "You painted those shorts on?"

"Yup." She laughed softly.

"You smell really fucking good again today Clearwater." Paul complimented from his corner by the door.

"So I've been told."

"What are we going to do tonight?" Paul asked.

"I just want to stay inside and chill. Plus Seth got a headache earlier and needs to rest." She finished her coffee, put the mug in the sink, and returned to the living room, but sat by Embry this time on the bigger couch. She stretched out her legs with her feet on his lap.

It was Embry's turn to tell Leah about her smell. "Lee…You are smelling so good." He almost moaned out loud. "I have got to get that perfume or whatever it is for my girl whenever I get one."

"It's not perfume."

Quil felt a little uneasy seeing Leah stretched out like that and her smell was really getting to him. "Please don't stretch like that. You smell good for real."

Jake actually beamed with pride at the fact the others were admiring his girl, but he could only let it get so far.

"Then what is it?" Embry prompted.

"I don't know…" She paused and put her arms behind her head. "It's like you guys are going crazy or something."

Jared got up from his place and walked over to Leah by the couch and looked at her legs. "Rise up."

She moved her legs for a second so Jared could sit down, then stretched out her legs over him and Embry again. Jake was silently observing them and so was Seth. This was just very odd behavior from them. Soon Jared's hand was idly caressing the tanned skin of Leah's calf. It did not look like a perverted touch, more like something any regular person would do without intention. But know one actually knew the satisfaction Jared got from that small amount of contact with her soft, smooth skin.

Jake saw the caressing and his wolf got agitated. One side of him wanted to march over there and yank her from their bodies and take her up to her room, but another part did not want to embarrass her in front of the pack. She had enough of that from Sam.

Seth, however, did not like it. Jared never touched Leah like that before so why now? It was odd and he did not like it one bit. "Jared…stop touching her like that; I don't like it. If you can't, then _move_."

Jake blew out a breath. For a second he forgot about Seth and he was grateful he spoke instead of him. He was not quite sure what was going on with him lately, especially his wolf. It was becoming a lot more aggressive lately every time he smelled Leah. The urges he got were shockingly intense and a little bit weird.

Jared and Leah both raised an eyebrow at him. Jared looked down at his hand and then moved it. "Sorry?"

"Paranoid much?" Leah said.

Seth sucked his teeth at them. "Hell yeah I am. I don't care what you guys think, but I don't like it and will call you guys out on your weird ass behavior. Jared, you have never touched Leah like that before so why now? You and Leah have always had thirty to fifty feet between you. I don't like it nor will I tolerate it." He gave them a knowing smirk. "Better me than Jake anyway. Jake would've tear your ass to shreds by now. He's over there trying to control himself; I can hear his wolf growling loudly."

Jared grimaced. "I don't know what to say man except that her legs are in my lap and I have nowhere else to put my hands." He said sheepishly.

"You're the one who went and sat there, you idiot." Seth reminded.

Jared blinked sheepishly, while Leah laughed. "You all need to chill." She picked up her phone when it vibrated showing her she received a text.

Seth was not buying his story and he was getting really annoyed now. His head was still stinging a little and he had no time for this bullshit. "I don't care so get your ass up and move. You put your ass there so you can take it out…Or do I need to move it for you?" He asked with a slight growl.

Leah put her phone down and spoke up, trying to calm her brother down. He was right…better him than Jake. She could tell Jake was trying hard to control himself in the corner and she thanked God he was trying. She really did not want to see what he would do if he couldn't. "Seth it's okay…I'm fine. You'll make your head hurt more if you worry." She soothed.

"I'm just sitting down man…That's it." Jared reassured.

Seth eyed him with a light sneer. "Don't touch her again; do not test me." He growled out in warning then changed the subject. "Anyone up for videogames?"

"I don't know." Paul said unfocusedly. Oddly enough, he was too focused on Leah to even want to. That was beyond strange.

Quil snapped out of his stupor and answered Seth his agreement. "Yeah I'm up to it; let's go play." They set up the console and began playing.

Jake was silently watching and his wolf did calm down a little, but then reacted again when he saw how much Paul was staring at Leah. First it was Jared, now Paul. "Paul! Did you lose something? You're staring too hard."

Paul snapped out of it when he heard to boom in Jake's voice. "Huh…What?"

Jake had had enough and he began to walk forward to the couch where Leah was. "Stop staring too hard at my woman!" He said with another growl. This time, it was louder and a little more feral.

**AN: That's it for this chapter folks. I know it was long, but I wanted show a lot of things which I hope you guys are catching on to. Notice the changes in behavior for the packs and Leah. Poor Seth…He's going a little cuckoo with the sudden changes. The packs, Jake, and Leah do not know what's going on yet, and it may be a while before they find out. It might come out sooner or later. Depends. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I would love to hear your thoughts, comments, and speculation about what's going on.**


	18. Chapter 18

'**Thoughts'**

'**Communication while phased'**

Paul put his hands up in surrender, trying to stop Jake from advancing. "My bad man." He averted his head.

Leah raised an eyebrow at Jake. "Your woman?"

Jake growled. "You heard me! _My_ woman!"

"Don't you growl at me Jacob!" Leah retorted.

Unbeknownst to them, Embry was having trouble on the couch. Leah's hair was directly in his line of sight and her smell was so alluring. He liked it and found himself enjoying it a little too much. 'Damn…This is Jake's girl, but her smell is so nice.' All of a sudden, his body went tense, rigid, and he stood up suddenly causing Leah to fall on the floor.

"Ow! What the fuck Embry?" Leah said from the floor, rubbing her but and arm.

"I'm sorry Lee." Embry replied nervously and shakily. He moved quickly to the other side of the room.

Jake shook his head and helped Leah up. "Baby…I can't help it. Ugh…Look I'll try to behave myself okay. I did not mean to growl at you." He scoffed at her. "You're not making it easy either you know." He pulled Leah to him while he pressed his body into hers. She tensed and her eyes fluttered. She could feel herself starting to get wet.

"Mmmmm…Jake." Her voice was a soft whisper.

"You're irresistible." He growled again and gently bit her left ear, then her bottom lip. He inhaled her scent again as he placed his head between her head and shoulder. He loved doing that and would never stop. "You smell so good…Good enough to eat."

Every eye was on them now, watching with interest and a slight hint of jealously.

Leah felt herself go weak in the knees at Jake's words, her arms wrapping around his neck and she pressed her hips into what was roughly is upper thighs. Paul let out a loose growl, that Jake and Leah did not hear.

Seth heard Paul's growl and his attention focused on him for a moment then turned to Leah and Jake. "Guys…" They did not hear him either. "Guys!" He called out a little louder. Jake and Leah still did not hear. "Guys!" He almost shouted at the top of his lungs. They finally heard and snapped out of it.

"Huh? What Seth?" Jake asked.

"You're going to stand there and ask me 'what?' Like…Really? You two are groping each other in front of everyone. Stop it…Now! I mean it Leah!" Seth said forcefully. He really hated this and the growl from Paul said a lot, but he was not sure what exactly.

"Right." Leah stepped away from Jake. "My bad." She plopped down on the sofa gain.

Seth blew out a breath. "Thank you. You guys are acting really strange today." He said as he looked around the room at all of them. "Lee…Did you put something in our food today? Maybe they're having a reaction to a certain seasoning or ingredient or something."

"No I didn't, but I wish. That would give us some answers maybe."

Jake sat down right next to her and she automatically pressed against him. He could not stay too far from her for too long, especially after what just took place.

"Well whatever it is, I don't like it. It's making me very uncomfortable and it's just plain weird." Seth admitted.

Jake found himself caressing her hip and Leah leaned into it. Both of their wolves were loving the contact. She leaned further into Jake so her upper body was resting in his lap. Her hair was so close and it smelled so fucking good. All eyes in the room were still on the happy couple. A lot of the watchers were not happy at all.

Embry was still tense and he remembered the smell and feel of Leah's skin. He suddenly could not take it anymore so he bolted. "Guys I just remembered I have to repair a table for my mom. I'll see you guys later."

Quil raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you sure? I can come with-"

Embry cut him off. "No, No that's okay. I'll be fine. I'll see you guys later okay?"

They all nodded at him and he walked out the door and went home. That was an unexpected surprise. Seth looked at the closed door. 'Something is _wrong_; my gut is telling me it's Leah who's at the center of it all. From now on, I'll be keeping an eye on her.' "Lee? My head is hurting me more now. I just took two tablets a while ago and my wolf abilities must have burned it off already. Can you get me two more please?"

Leah nodded and immediately got out of Jake's arms, heading into the kitchen to get his medicine. She came back a minute later with a glass of water and two Tylenol tablets for him. "Here you go."

"Can you please massage my head for me too please Lee? Oh and my bump? I took a chance on phasing and I would like you to check on it." Although it seemed like he was monopolizing his sister's time and attention, his head really was hurting him. This day was weird and unbelievable for him. No wonder he got a headache.

Leah was not stupid in that she raised an eyebrow at her brother suddenly wanting so much attention, but she did not dare say no. "Bend down." He bent down and she carefully moved his hair to look at the lump. "It's smaller now."

All the others could do was just stare and stay silent, including Jake. They knew better than to interrupt the siblings when they were like that. Besides, seeing Leah being all sweet, attentive, and maternal-like was indeed a turn on.

"It's smaller? Really? That's good. That explains the less headaches I've been receiving, besides the one I have right now. Thanks sis…For taking care of me. I owe you one." He sighed in contentment at her hands on his head.

"It's no problem Seth. It's my duty to take care of you. Remember Carlisle said not to overwork or stress yourself out. So try not to worry about me okay?"

Seth sighed. "It's easier said than done. No matter what, I'll always worry about you the same way you worry about me. You _know_ that; I can't have you worrying about me and not me worry about you. Where's the fairness in that? Just know that I'm here and will always look out for you."

Leah smiled weakly. "I know." She pecked his temple after she finished rubbing them. "You want to go lay down for a while?"

He hesitated in answering. His head was hurting him a lot and maybe if he got some rest, he'd feel better. His eyes darted to Jake for a moment. He knew Jake would look out for her so he made up his mind to go to bed. "Yeah…I think I'll go to bed now." He kissed her cheek. "Good night Lee." He turned to face the others. "Behave yourselves or else I won't think twice on kicking your asses."

They all groaned then shook their heads in a yes manner.

"Good…I'll see you guys tomorrow." With that, he headed upstairs to bed.

Leah waited until she heard his door close then returned to Jake on the couch. Jared bit his lip a little as she passed by him, the smell traveling with her. Her smell also hit Quil square in the face and he dropped his video game controller suddenly, the sound echoing around the room. His body tensed again and he stood up quickly.

Leah raised an eyebrow at him. "Quil you okay?"

Quil stuttered. "I'm, I'm…Uh…Am…I'm fine. I think I'll go now; I promised grandpa I'd spend some time with him."

Jake looked at his cousin in concern. "Are you sure cuz?"

"Yeah." Quil verified.

"Uh…Okay." Leah said.

Quil walked towards the door, his body stiff and solid as a rock.

Paul got up too and went after Quil. "You know what? It's been ages since I spoke to your grandpa so I'm going to come with you."

It was Jake's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Yes…Goodnight." He and Quil couldn't run out the door fast enough.

Jared got up as well. "I need to go see my mom; I'll see you guys tomorrow." He walked out stiffly and just as fast as the others did.

"Well that was…interesting. What the hell is going on? They are acting so weird…Not themselves. What did you do Lee? Put something new in the food?"

"That's the same thing Seth asked me earlier remember? No I did not put anything new in the food. I just hope they're okay."

Meanwhile Sam has been keeping an eye on things. He was truly at Emily's, but he could not help but to venture out to check on Leah and the guys. He was in the woods, but not too far from the house. He had to be smart about spying on them; he did not want any of them to catch his scent. While looking in on them, he noticed the guys' behavior and it was weird to him as well. Leah's smell was doing wonders to him and he could not figure out why yet. One would think since he was the oldest and the first to phase that he would know what was going on, but he was just as clueless as the rest of them. One whiff of her smell had his wolf irritated and horny like crazy. Being an alpha himself, he was getting some strange urges. Yeah him and Emily were still on rocky roads, but he's been fucking her a lot recently, whenever _he_ wanted to. Hell she never stopped him cause it was her who was begging to get some. Ever since he was pissed at her about her attitude on Leah being sick, Emily was using her vibrator. It could never compare to the real thing anyway. Before he went home, he decided to try something out. He went over to Leah's window and inhaled her scent one last time. He could not take it anymore so he went back home and took it out on Emily.

Jake and Leah were finishing up their contemplation in the same spot in the couch. "I hope so too. Then again, my woman is getting a lot of attention."

Leah rolled her eyes. "There you go again."

He shrugged his shoulders. "What?"

She just rolled her eyes again and smirked, running a hand through her hair. Her smell stirred up again and Jacob Jr. stood at full attention. His wolf was all of a sudden very hot and wanted to ravish her at that moment. 'Whoa…What is wrong with me? I need to calm down. Seth is upstairs resting. I wonder if we stay downstairs if he would hear since his door is closed.' Without warning, both of his hands cup Leah's breasts and he caressed them.

She arched into his touch immediately. "Fuck…Jake."

He lifted Leah's shirt over her head, unclasped her bra, then cupped her breasts again. He began to palm, caress, knead, and pinch them. Leah winced a little at his soft pinches, pushing his hands away with a playful 'ow.' Her hands moved down to the button and zipper of his jeans, hastily unclasping it and tugging it down. "Remember Seth is sleeping so not too loud okay?" She reminded him.

Jake looked down her, anticipating what she was going to do. His wolf was loving it as well and could not wait.

Leah's lips curved into a delicious smile then she let go of the button on his boxers. "On second thought, I'm kind of tired." She shrugged and picked up her bra.

Jake looked at her aghast…Oh hell no. He grabbed onto her, took her top and threw them across the room. He tugged on her shorts in an attempt to pull her forward and then he started to unbutton it. It was taking too long so he ripped it off and threw it across the room too. His left hand immediately cupped her pussy and started to rub it hard, while his right hand rubbed her breasts, tweaking and pulling on the nipples hard as well. He growled lightly at her, the wolf annoyed at her refusal.

Leah tossed her head back and groaned loudly. "No!" The groan was laced with sex appeal and adoration.

Jake ignored her, growled again, and rubbed her harder with both hands at their respective places. Soon Leah's hand, thanks to the egging on of her wolf and her own complete arousal for him, dove into his boxers and pulled them down almost roughly. She gripped his huge cock, almost hard, and began to stroke.

Jake kissed her as his tongue made it's way inside her mouth, dominating the kiss. She fought back a moan and he continued his hand movements on her. He pulled his head away, growled deeply, then spoke to her lowly. "Whenever I refer to you as my woman, do not defy it. Do you understand me Leah? Answer me now!" He rubbed her more heavily than ever before, then inserted a finger inside her.

Leah gulped. "Yes…" Her thighs quivered as his first finger made it's way inside her. Fuck she loved this. She knew she should be standing up for herself a little more, but God, even her wolf agreed that this was fucking magic and she should not mess with Jacob's intensity right now. She tightened her hold on his dick a little. "What do you think Jacob? Should I suck it? Now you answer _me_."

Jake swallowed hard and he tensed. He was always the one in control, but he saw nothing wrong in his woman pleasing him. 'I still call the shots!' He snarled lightly then answered. "Yeah…Suck me and suck me good. On your knees!" He released her and she got on her knees. He looked down at her, his dick in her face…Long, thick, and hard."

Leah wrapped one hand around the base of him and let her tongue lick across the head before taking him halfway into her mouth. Her other hand pushed her hair back behind her ear and then gripped his thigh so hard, her fingernails scratched his skin. Every few seconds, her blue eyes flicked up just to gauge the pleasure on his face.

Jake was seeing stars. Her mouth and tongue were doing wonders to his dick. He put his hand in her hair and gripped her head gently. He was moaning and groaning, but had to bite his lip since he remembered Seth was upstairs sleeping. The sensation was exceptional though and he loved it, especially his wolf.

Leah smirked at him, pulling off and then licking up the side of him before taking him almost all the way inside.

He could stop himself and he moaned. "Oh yeah…Just like that. Don't stop." The pleasure was driving him insane. His wolf was purring nicely, enjoying the feeling as well.

Leah repeated the actions like he asked, almost to the point that she gagged, but it was for Jake so it did not matter. Her hand came off his thigh and began to caress his balls, sending even more bolts of pleasure rocketing from his gut upward.

Fuck…Jake was in heaven. He was loving this, his wolf pleased that his woman could keep up with and please him. His hands started moving through her hair and he began to thrust into her mouth, fucking it. She was taking it all in without gagging this time. It was like her wolf knew and she adjusted her throat to take him in. He moaned in pleasure, trying not to be too loud. At the rate Leah was going, he could feel his release was near.

Leah used her other hand which had nothing to hold on to, since his dick was firmly held by her mouth, and ran trails up and over his chest for what she could reach. Her fingernails lightly raked over the hot skin. God she loved him!

Jake shivered at the contact her other hand made with his skin. His pleasure quadrupled and he was very close. He felt his balls starting to constrict with every thrust into her mouth. Those oceanic eyes he loved so much, looked up at him, challenging him to let loose. He saw the challenge in her eyes and tried not to give in, but the pleasure was too great. He was rising higher and higher into the sky. With one last thrust together with a loud moan of her name, he exploded into her mouth. He emptied himself in her mouth like a fountain sprouting water and she swallowed every last drop. His wolf was so happy and content. If Leah could make him feel this way from a blow job, he could only imagine how it would feel like to finally be inside her. He pulled her up to her feet and kissed her long and hard. He pulled away from her, breathing hard. "That was incredible!"

"You don't say." She said smiling slyly at him. Even she was breathing hard.

"Yeah…It was; I loved it." He grinned at her widely and they sat down on the couch to cuddle. They were internally grateful Seth did not wake up. After a moment of silent peace, Jake turned Leah's face to his and cupped her cheeks in his hands. "I love you…You're my everything."

Leah smiled softly and kissed him lovingly. "And you're mine."

Jake kissed the top of her head and held her closer to him. "Baby…Do you want to go upstairs to bed? It's been an interesting and good day. I know you'll have to go to Seth soon and do the questions with him anyway right?"

"Yeah…I think tonight is the last night I'll be doing that though. He's been getting better and the lump is a lot smaller now. I'll give him a couple hours so let's go to bed. I'm feeling a little beat myself."

Jake nodded and the two of them picked up their clothing and went upstairs. When they reached her bedroom, Leah walked inside first while Jake stood back and admired her. His wolf was very satisfied with his woman and what he had. He grabbed her from behind and they tumbled onto the bed. "Let's sleep naked."

Leah giggled and nodded, pulling back one of the bed's thin covers and crawled underneath with Jake. Once they were intertwined, she ran a hand through his short, cropped, spiky hair and then attached her lips to his neck.

Jake moaned at the contact of her lips there and his wolf was also purring. All of this from her was so overwhelming, but magnificent. He could and would never get enough of her.

Leah sucked and nipped at Jake's neck gently, the calm motions soothing him to the point where he was even tired, "Get some sleep Jake; I'll be here when you wake up."

"What about you? I know you're tired as well."

"I am, but I don't want to fall asleep only to have to wake up in two hours. I'll just stay up until then."

"If you say so." Jake yawned. "Goodnight and love you."

"Love you too." She kissed his forehead and put her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Not too soon after Jake fell asleep, Leah's tiredness took it's toll and she fell asleep as well. The two lovebirds slept peacefully throughout the night, dreaming of the other.

The next day after patrol, the packs were lying in their meadow. Damn…come within five feet of Leah and it was boner central; it was starting to get creepy. Everyone seemed to be getting meaner…The smallest comment could cause a neck to be broken and Leah did not know what was causing it or how to fix it. When someone tried something, just so she could say she had a hand in their safety, she said and did nothing. She pretended it did not happen cause Jacob subconsciously put in it the guys mind that he was armed and dangerous.

Jacob has been noticing the behaviors of his brothers besides Seth and Sam of course. Him and Seth stayed close to Leah at all times before, during, and after patrol and Sam stayed close to the guys trying to calm them down. Jacob himself has been trying to calm down too, but it was becoming hard. If it wasn't for Seth, he probably would've scared the whole packs, including Leah. In addition, if he lost control like that, Leah would be at risk cause there was no telling what he would do. The guys were all tensed and snapped at each other too. They did not understand their behavior either, only that Leah was the cause, but they did not know why or how. Sam was going crazy as well, but he had a little more self control and he had to be strong for his pack. Internally, he felt like he would go insane, but he had to stay strong and stay in control.

Leah's scent was more prominent, stronger, thicker, and very heavy. Her scent still smelled like the sea breeze with a mixture of strawberries and pineapples, the strawberries were sweeter as were the pineapples. Her scent was intoxicating and so alluring. Jake's dominant alpha side wanted to be rough with her, claim her, and mark her, but something was telling him now was not the time. Plus he did not want to scare her. He already told himself a serious talk with his father was needed so he could know what the hell was going on. He made it his duty for him, Leah, and Seth to go see him soon, maybe tomorrow. With that thought, he laid down very close to Leah and rubbed himself on her side.

'Baby…Are you alright?"

Leah nodded. 'Yeah I'm okay.' Her head was resting on her paws, her blue eyes looking around at the men of the packs. Every single one of them were eying her hind quarters…Hell she was soon going to tell them 'go ahead' if they didn't stop making it so awkward.

Jake growled at her thoughts. 'Don't think that. Don't ever think that again. I can't stand anyone other than myself touching you in that way.' He licked her face. 'Lee I promise you I will find out what's going on okay? I give you my word.'

She just sighed her okay. Seth was in front of them laying down on his stomach too with his head on his paws, but he was fully alert. Ever since he noticed the behaviors of his brothers with his sister, he was a little paranoid and a lot more protective. He was a lot more edgy too since the guys were more aggressive.

Soon, Jared and Paul wandered over to the she-wolf and laid down on the opposite side of Jacob. Surprisingly when they laid their heads on Leah's back, they felt the need to seek affection instead of sexual gratification.

Jared huffed softly and buried his nose into Leah's fur. 'I could sleep here.'

'Leah you're comfy.' Paul declared then yawned loudly.

Before she could fathom a reply, Jake and Seth growled and tensed. They backed down a little when all Jared and Paul did were pet Leah softly and went right to sleep in their positions. Quil and Embry looked on in jealousy and tried to shrugged it off, but couldn't. They too came around to Leah and just inhaled her scent. Her scent alone gave them comfort and they laid as close to her and they could without blocking or suffocating her. Jake shielded his thoughts for a moment. 'What the fuck is going on? They are so damn touchy-feely with Leah all of a sudden. I don't know whether to be mad or happy that they are being good to her.'

Sam was quietly observing them and thinking too. His thoughts were blocked completely and he wondered about Leah's smell. He was able to figure out what was wrong the night before after he got home. He did a test on himself the night he was watching them. He purposefully strolled under Leah's window when she and Jake went to bed, since her scent was the strongest there. He took a _very_ deep inhale and his cock throbbed madly. His wolf started growling and snarling very strongly and he had to retreat quickly before Jake and Leah woke up. He figured out Leah was in heat because her scent changed. He was not sure though, but he knew it was close to that. What sealed the nail on the head was the sudden attraction the guys had for her. Leah's pherophorons were giving off the strong scent and were silently calling them to come and mate with her. 'I think it's early though cause she's not ready for children yet. I know she'll be ready soon though and that's when I'll make my move. I'll have to get Leah alone and away from Jacob and Seth.' His growled again at the thought of taking her, her scent was so strong. Sam continued to stay quiet and just watched them.

Leah let the guys sleep on her if that was what gave them some piece of mind. But she still stuck close to Jake and let her alpha and boyfriend do as he wished, whether it was licking or chewing her ears or being very close. Jake was practically half on top of her.

Jake had to somehow show his claim, even if it was not formally. He had to the get the guys to back off so his wanting to kill them goes away. Him and Seth have been discussing their weird behavior and came to the conclusion that one of them should be with Leah at all times. He watched Sam silently, noticing his quietness and something in him did not trust it at all. 'He's up to something. Sam is too quiet, even for him.' He nudged Seth, telling him to look at Sam and he nodded his agreement at Sam being too quiet.

Leah looked at her brother and boyfriend, raising an eyebrow. 'What are you guys staring at?'

They turned to look at her and answered simultaneously. 'Nothing.'

They then proceeded to stay close to her and would occasionally paw her and plain old lick her just to show the guys they're right by her side and they better not try anything funny.

The guys seemed pretty content though. Paul and Jared were snoozing with their heads on her back, while Embry and Quil laying down at her sides.

Jake and Seth growled softly. They fucking hated the attention the guys were giving Leah. It seemed like they were in another dimension or some shit. They knew they cared about her and all that, but this was just too fucking weird and annoying. They wanted to be around her _all the damn time_. However, Leah did not seem to mind…Yet. Seth and Jake gave a wolfy sigh and just stayed close; that was all they could do for now.

'I'm not a baby you know. If one of them tries to feel me up or something, I'll punch them in the face. You two don't need to hover.'

'I know Lee, but this is just too weird. I can't say it to myself enough. They have never acted like this before and you know that. Don't you find it strange that they want to be close to you…A lot?' Seth asked curiously with a hint of frustration.

'Yeah I know something's off, but it's also the guys. It's Paul, Jared, Quil, Embry, and Sam. Do you think they even have the mental capability to be such huge damn idiots?'

"I know it's the guys, but it's just strange for me. I'm not used to seeing them so affectionate with you.' Jake admitted.

'There's nothing wrong with it, as long as they're not hurting me.' Leah replied.

'Yeah…I know. It is odd and I don't like it. I do understand sis, but there's just something wrong here. I am getting a nagging feeling that something is wrong. Isn't it strange that I'm not affected? I know it's because I'm your brother, but still. If it was something we ate or drank or sniffed in the air, I probably would've been the same way, but I'm your brother and I am not like that with you. You know what I mean?'

'What he's saying is true babe; it is uncomfortable. Plus, my wolf has been a lot more active and very aggressive lately. I just don't show it much because I don't want to scare you. Haven't you notice how I've been with you lately too?'

Leah looked at him and surprisingly nipped at his snout playfully. 'Yeah but that's just plain hot.'

Jake growled appreciatively. 'Oh it is, is it? Well I'll just be more like that with you then. Don't complain when it comes out slowly but surely. When it all comes out, you'll love it then.' He nipped her back on her snout, nuzzled her neck, and inhaled her scent again. It was kind of challenging to do those things since there were so many bodies all over Leah, but he managed. 'Fuck…You do smell so damn good; I want to take you right now.'

Leah giggled. 'I think the sleepers might be disturbed.' Her wolf inside wanted nothing more than to lie down and get on with it.

'I'm starting to not give a damn.'

'I do.' Seth said. Opps…They almost forgot about him.

Leah sighed. 'Seth…You're around too often.' She licked the side of her brother's face sloppily and playfully.

'Lee…" He whined at her wolf kiss.

'Wait a minute…You're not supposed to be phased anyway.' Jake reminded. 'Leah has the week gone by yet?'

'Come to think of it…No. He still has a day left. Seth phase out and go home and lie in bed.'

'Hell no! I am not leaving you like this. Jacob is only one person and do not force me. I've been feeling fine. If you try to fight me on this, then I just might feel sick.'

Leah growled warningly. 'Seth…I don't give a fuck if Jacob's a hundred men, I can take care of myself! So go the hell home before I drag you there myself and tie you to your damn bed!'

At the mere mention of 'tying to a damn bed' the whole packs' mind rushed with dirty thoughts about Leah.

Jake growled when the thoughts flashed through his head. 'What the fuck? Cut it out!'

Seth growled too. 'See what I mean? No I am fine and am not going anywhere. Don't force me to leave. I'll be miserable home and you know that.'

Leah groaned in frustration. 'Jake a little help here?'

Jake was too distracted by the dirty thoughts raging around in the guys' heads about his woman to notice what she asked. He growled again in warning. 'Haven't you noticed what they was thinking about? Focus Leah.'

'Yeah I heard it and it's called being _horny_. It happens to men don't you think?'

Jake was getting annoyed with her nonchalant attitude. 'Would you like it if girls were fantasying about tying me up and having their way with me? You won't so don't act like I have to be cool with this. I know they're fantasies but damn cut your man some slack.'

'It really is fucking annoying and horniness can cause men to do almost anything so please stop being so carefree and let me stay.'

Leah rolled her eyes. 'I know…Just try to ignore it. Hell get some rope out when we get home so you can tie me up. She looked at Seth. 'No it cannot cause men to do almost anything. These men are puppies, you don't need to worry about them.'

Seth would not back down though. His sister sometimes made him feel like a kid and could not take care of himself. 'They're not pups, they're grown ass dogs and dogs hump anything that moves when they're horny.'

'Seth just go home.'

He shook his head defiantly. 'I told you no; I'm almost eighteen and I am feeling fine. Can't you at least trust me to know myself?'

Leah growled. 'Well sorry I fucking worry about you!'

Seth moved closer to her and licked her face. 'I know you're worried and I'm sorry to make you upset but please…I would be worried if I leave you like this, surrounded by these horny wolves. I'll feel better knowing you are in my sight. Please Lee?' He licked her face again.

'Seth I get your concern, I do, but…But you weren't the one who had to sit by a bed for almost three days wondering whether your sibling was ever going to open their eyes again or not!'

'Yeah, but you weren't the one worrying for days and months wondering when your sibling was going to die, knowing there was a death sentence on her head. We've both been through stuff and you're always there for me. For once, let me do my protective brother thing.'

Her brother did have a point in his worrying and who was she to argue. They were even and yet Seth always got his way with her anyway. Leah sighed. 'Fine.'

Seth licked her face again. 'Thank you for understanding.' He bit her snout playfully. 'Love you.'

Leah smirked wolfishly. 'Yeah go lie down or something you sookiebaby.' Then she stood up and shook her coat, the men who were sleeping on her was watching with interest. She stretched her sleek body and then rolled listlessly in the grass, her soft underbelly gleaming in the moonlight.

Jake's body went rigid and he growled at the sight, fighting the urge to pounce on her. He was fighting with himself and he felt like he was fighting a losing battle. Leah's scent flowed through the breeze and he inhaled it and he started to snarl very loudly. He took a couple steps forward, but caught himself and stopped. 'Lee can you please not do that?'

Seth was busy watching the other guys and he noticed their bodies were tensed and stiff too. Their faces were in agony, yet satisfied, like they were fighting something within themselves too, but it was easier for them to win the fight and stayed where they were.

Sam was so close to losing it, but he knew if he gave in, then he would have to deal with Jacob and that would not end very well. He forced himself to take a couple steps backwards. If he breathed some fresh air, it might help. Being an alpha in this predicament was fucking hard. He glanced over and Jacob and saw he was close to losing it as well. Sam had an urge to take him out first, but he pressed down on it. He would never attack his brother, at least not willingly.

Jake took a couple more steps toward Leah before he stopped again, shaking himself out of it. 'Lee…please don't do that.' He pleaded with her again.

Leah though, for once had a bit of peace of mind of her own as she rolled in the soft grass and did not hear Jake's pleading.

Jake's wolf was pushing him and it snapped at him viciously. After a couple more minutes of the wolf snapping at him and Leah's rolling around, he suddenly pounced right on top of her and started to lick her face. His hard, long wolf cock pressed against her heavily. The others all stood there in shock and could not believe it. However, deep down they did because Jake did what they all wanted to do. Sam was not surprised and he backed away some more because his instinct wanted him to throw Jacob off of her.

'Lee…Phase out right now. I want to taste you and make you moan.' Jake spoke while growling.

At those words, Jared and Paul growl.

Leah whimpered. 'I don't want to phase out.' She knew he was horny as fuck, hell she could _feel_ he was horny as fuck, but she was quite content staying in wolf form. However just so Jake could keep some sanity, she did not move from underneath him, except to turn back onto her stomach so their hind quarters have contact.

Embry and Quil growled at the sight, their jealousy apparent. It if wasn't for Jake being their best friend and brother, they would have probably threw him off by now. Remembering that Jake was their best friend helped them a little so they calmed down some.

Sam was just watching from his distance. He was fighting himself and the others had no idea the internal battle he was having within. He knew he would get his chance with Leah anyway. He would have his moment; it was only a matter of time.

Jake growled some more and he rubbed against her very aggressively, positioning his stiff rod of a cock very close to her feminine opening. He was right there and he knew if he gave one thrust he would be inside, but something told him it was not the right time. As much as he wanted to, he could not bring himself to do it. He just rocked against her again and again, hearing her howl.

The white wolf loved the feeling and thought that if they did not have an audience, she would've made him get inside her right at the moment. They were tortured long enough, but they still had to wait. She did not know if she could any longer, but she knew she had to. Leah turned her head as best as she could and licked at Jake's snout and jaw in soft kisses. It was actually quite calming.

Jake started to calm down a little at the affectionate contact and so did his wolf. He stopped the aggressive rocking, but rocked slowly, softer, and sensually instead. He loved the feeling of her pressed against his body. He dipped his head by her neck and inhaled again. Despite her scent driving him crazy, it also brought him a sense of comfort and peace. 'I want to taste you so bad; let's head home.' He turned to face the others while still on top of her. 'Patrol is over so you guys can head on home if you want.'

Their eyes widened and they were so jealous. They were horny as hell, but wait a minute…Some of them had imprints. They figured they'd just take out their sexual frustrations on them anyway since that was what they were doing ever since this thing with Leah started. The imprints were loving the sex too, the roughness and everything. They wondered at first where the aggression came from, but did not care afterwards cause the sex was just damn good.

'We don't have to leave, the others can and we can stay here and finish what we started the other day. You guys can go now; Leah and I will stay here.' Jake dismissed them.

'Really…Because you can't keep down your fucking cock we have to leave?' Leave it to Paul to rebel.

Jake took that in stride. 'Well we'll leave…How about that?'

Paul snarled softly. 'That would be better yeah.'

'That's fine.' Jake licked Leah's face and rocked against her one last time, promising her there was more to come when they get home. She was also hot and bothered and she was anticipating what Jake had in store. Jake moved to the side to let her up and began walking off with Leah behind him. He paused for a moment. 'Seth…Don't be out too long okay? Give us a couple hours like two or three. As a matter of fact, we'll just text you. It won't be long since we know you're out. Be careful and do not overexert yourself okay?'

Seth rolled his wolfish eyes, but knew they were just being caring with him even though they were horny and anxious to get home. 'Okay Jake I will. Bye Lee…Be careful.' He cackled at the last word.

Leah rolled her eyes, trying to hide her smirk. She and Jake pretty much ran home.

The others looked at them in awe and jealousy. They were left there and were horny too. Sam was going home though. He and Emily may not officially made up, but the sex was amazing. Leah's scent stirred up the animal in him and he loved it. He tried out some things with Emily for him to see if it worked so he could try them out later on Leah when he got the chance. He faced the others. 'I don't know about you…I'm horny as hell and Emily is home. I'll be having some fantastic sex when I get there. I'm not staying here all day being agitated and hot. See you guys later.' He turned and ran home so fucking fast, he left dust in his trail.

Jared and Paul were quick to agree and they too raced off as they struggled to replace Leah's image in their heads with Rachel's and Kim's.

Embry and Quil ran their separate ways too. Quil may have Claire, but he sure had his friends with benefits. Hell…He had needs and took great care of them with his friends.

Embry as well had his own fair share of female friends with benefits whom he would make booty calls. He did not have an imprint so he was free to play how and whenever he wanted.

Seth just shrugged his shoulders and he went over to the Cullens. He loved playing video games with Emmett and that would pass the time until Leah let him know when it was 'safe' to come home. He turned in the Cullens' direction and raced over there, not wanting to be alone in the meadow. Soon all that was left in the meadow was dust in the air.

**AN: Another chapter done! So what do you guys think? You probably have it figured out by now. Maybe you don't. I would love to hear your thoughts and speculations! Review and let me know what they are. **


	19. Chapter 19

**AN: Hey guys! Here's the next chapter. This one has the OC's I was telling you about from way before. Mad Shoutout to MidnightStarr! If it wasn't for her, this chapter would not be possible. She's the best! Anyway…Happy Reading!**

At the Clearwater home, Leah and Jacob were laying in bed panting. His hands were still traveling over her naked skin, over her ass, her sleek, sweat-soaked back and through her damp hair since she was lying on her stomach. He was pressed close to her side and Leah did not want him to move…Ever. Every touch he gave her, sent a shiver down her spine, making her hips buck involuntarily.

Jake wanted to penetrate her so fucking bad, but he couldn't. The alpha in him wanted to, but he knew for a fact he couldn't. Something was telling him now wasn't the time. He just had this feeling so for now, he was content with having her pressed up against him. His hands were doing wonders to her body and he finally stopped at her wet and dripping pussy. It was overflowing with her juices and he could smell her aroma.

"I love you Jake." Leah turned her head to face him and kissed his lips tenderly.

Jake kissed her back the same way. "I love you too. You're my everything." He then trailed kisses down her body. When he reached down south, he lifted up her hips with her ass in the air, placed his hands on both of her ass cheeks, and spread them as wide as he could. He then proceeded to lick her from pussy right up to her asshole.

Leah moaned softly into the pillow. "Really Jake?" She breathed out. "I don't think if I can cum again…What is this…Like the sixth time?"

"Yeah so…I want you to cum as much as you can. I'll make you cum so many times, you'll be begging me to stop." Jake licked her again and again, over and over.

Leah's hips and ass bucked upward and she shudders, trying to crawl away from him. "Jake…No." She moaned out. She was beyond oversensitized and every touch he gave her almost made her convulse.

Jake grabbed her legs and pulled her back towards him. "Where do you think you're going? I'm not done with you yet; not for a while." He repeated his ministrations and spread her ass cheeks even wider. He gave her one hell of a rim job, then proceeded to assault her wet pussy, drinking all of her juices and making her scream out in pure pleasure.

Leah moaned out loudly, and it only took one or two more licks on Jacob's part to have her cumming again; violent shivers shoot up her back and she arched, screaming out his name for the entire reservation to hear. "Jacob!" As she slowly came down, she was still muttering his name almost religiously. Shaky breaths and sweat beading on her skin, eyes glazed over with pleasure.

The wolf in Jake growled roughly, loving the sound of her voice shouting his name. "That's right…Say my name! Who is your man, your one and only, your _alpha_?" He nearly shouted the last word, but it came out as a very loud growl. He was still licking her even though she came, however, she started moving again. He could not get enough of her and her smell was making it worse. "Answer me Leah! Now!" He growled out again.

"Jacob Black!" Leah gritted her teeth. "Fuck! Jacob Black!" She repeated.

Jake tugged on her clit from behind and she jerked upward. He was licking and nipping on her like she was the last meal left on earth. He snarled aggressively and spoke. "I cannot hear you. I am going to ask you again. Who is your man, your one and only, your _alpha_?" He shouted the last word this time. "Answer me now! Louder!"

"_Jacob_!" The wolf inside her was amazed with his intensity, almost fearing now that it didn't have the stamina to keep up with him. She mentally prepared herself to put in extra effort; it was time to turn things around. Before she could even utter a word or move, she felt Jacob nip at her clit with his teeth and she found herself cumming hard, his name breathless from her lips. She sagged against the bed with Jake lying on top of her.

Leah was breathing heavily when she spoke. "Get off."

The wolf in him growled at her way of addressing him, but he took it in stride. Leah would learn how to speak to him soon enough. He was going to let her be like that for a little while longer. When the time came for him to actually claim her, a lot would change. He rolled to the right side of her. "Take a ten minute rest; I'm not done with you yet." He inhaled her scent and Jacob Jr. stood at attention.

Leah growled softly, sat up, and leveraged herself onto her hands and knees as her body tried to quail the violent shakes and spasms coursing through her. She almost did not make it, but she did. It was time for Jake to get some tough love through being a tease. "You know…Something Sam and I never got around to doing was anal." She laughed sarcastically. "I'm still a virgin in that hole. So what about you Jakey? Are you still a virgin?"

Jake looked at her incredulously, his eyes wide open. "In which part? Anal or with my dick?"

Leah smirked at him with those swollen, pink lips. "Both."

"Well I am definitely a virgin in my ass, but with my dick? Hell no!" He winked. "I've had a couple of girls before; none I was ever serious about though."

Leah nodded. "Oh…You, Sam, and Kyle; that's it for me."

Jake could not help but to growl and snarl at the mention of those names, especially Kyle. He hated him with a passion. "Please don't ever mention their names again in that context." He looked at her with a smug look on his face. "They can't and will never make you moan and groan like I can though, not that they'll _ever_ get that chance. That's for damn sure!"

Leah chuckled at him. "Is that so?"

Jake growled even louder, hating that she's chuckling and questioning him. His wolf did not want anyone other than him touching his woman. He checked the time; her ten minutes were up. He grabbed her abruptly and flipped her on her back. "Your ten minutes are up." He placed his head between her head and shoulder and inhaled her scent, memorizing it and putting it to memory.

Leah groaned. "I'm tired…Please just lay down with me." She wrapped her arms around his neck.

It was Jake's turn to chuckle at her. He pulled back, looked at her smugly, and raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? You're tired? I've worn you out? I told you I'd make you beg me to stop. You're putty in my hands and you know it." He nipped at her neck.

Leah scoffed and sucked her teeth, refusing to admit he was right. She shuddered when she felt Jake nip at her neck and she felt his hands turning her face to his.

"When I finally get inside you, I will fuck you like there's no tomorrow. The same way how you are begging me to stop licking and sucking you, you'll be begging me to stop fucking you. Better yet, you'll be getting fucked so good, you _won't_ be begging me to stop." He growled out as he nipped her neck.

Leah found herself shivering again at his words. She could not wait for them to become one with one another. "Really?"

"Really." He grinned at her then went back to nipping at her neck, his teeth treading lightly. "I should bite you right here." He stopped at her pulse point, listening to her blood pumping to it's destination. Her scent was the most powerful there and he suddenly got the urge to rough her up and bite her. He growled again, the wolf sort of cheering him on. "Right here would be the perfect spot."

Leah smirked. "My blood smells good to you? Cannibal."

Jake shook himself out of his trance when he heard her voice. He chuckled against her neck, nibbled one last time, then pulled away.

"You're going to stay with me right?" Leah took his hand as she spoke.

Jake was taken by surprise at that. Leah acted so tough all the time and that question sounded more like a plea. 'Lee wants to cuddle. Wow!' He moved back closer to her and stayed there. "Of course. I'll need you to come with me tomorrow to my dad's so we can talk to him. I want Seth to come too. We need to know why the guys are acting so strange around you and why your smell is the way it is now. If we don't go by dad's tomorrow, we'll go the day after. "

Leah nodded with a hand running through his hair.

Jake cupped her cheeks and looked at her intensely. "We need to know what's going on because if anything bad ever happens to you, I'll lose my mind; maybe even kill myself."

Leah pouted. "No." She kissed his bottom lip, pulling it in her mouth. "I need someone here to look after my geek brother if something ever happens to me."

"Well I can't make any promises, but I'll try. Do you have any idea how much you mean to me?" His wolf purred at their contact and closeness.

Leah's wolf was doing much the same thing and she lied down on her stomach once more. She tugged Jake forward and he was on top of her once again. The hand holding his brought his knuckles to her lips so she could kiss them. "I don't think you know how much you mean to me either."

"Oh do I? Hm…What am I to you then?"

"All that and a box of skittles." Leah giggled and turned her head, kissing his cheek lovingly.

Jake chuckled. "Well you're all that and a bag of chips."

She laughed and pecked his jaw. "Don't I know it?"

"Did Seth come home? I don't want him out there too long."

"Not yet I think." Leah sighed and reached the top of her nightstand, sending her brother a text, asking him where he is. She received a respond telling her he was at the Cullens. She growled lightly hating her brother surrounded by vampires, but for some reason Seth loved being there. He loved playing with Emmett and Rose took a strange liking to him as well. Leah had to admit, out of all the Cullens, Rose and Emmett were the only ones she really liked and spoke to very well. She knew they would look out for her brother, but still the thought of him there alone unnerved her. She looked at her phone again, reading another text from Seth asking if it was okay for him to come home.

"Leah…Have you heard from him? When did he say he'll be home?"

"He's at the Cullens." She looked at Jake and smirked. "So are you and Jacob Jr. going to have another sex fit or can I tell him to come home now?"

"Well you've been begging me to stop anyway and I know Seth wants to come home so yeah tell him it's safe."

Leah smirked and bucked her hips and ass up into his pelvis playfully while texting Seth yes, the house was indeed safe.

Jake growled. "Tease…Just you wait."

Seth responded back by saying he would be home in a couple of minutes.

Leah only laughed. "Wait for what?"

Jake pulled her closer. "Wait until I'm inside you; I'm going to fuck you so _hard_. Remember that."

Leah laughed again. "I bet you I won't even flinch. You're such a big talker Jake."

"Yeah says the one who's been telling me _I'm tired_ or screaming _Jacob_!" He mocked her in a girl-like voice. "You won't flinch, you'll shiver and tremble."

Leah flicked his nose. "Maybe I like a little pain with my pleasure. But let's not forget the one whose constantly _ohh Leah I need to taste you so bad_!"

"I'll admit and say you're right. You're the only one that could satisfy my taste and desire. You should feel good about that." Jake turned serious. "There's no one like you; you're the only for me." He brought her face closer to his and growled softly and spoke firmly. "_You are mine_."

Leah bit his bottom lip hard. "I know…Likewise."

Just then Seth came in the house yelling out for them. "Leah? Jake?"

Leah pulled the covers over them, but she did not make Jake move. "We're upstairs!"

"Okay…Lee I'm hungry!"

Leah sighed. "Get off."

Jake sure as hell was not going to let her get away with talking to him like that a second time. "_Get off_? Don't you mean _excuse me_?"

Leah bucked her hips into his again. "No…I mean get off."

Jake took her hips and held her still. He then took two fingers on his left hand and put them directly into her inner core and stroked it. "You mean _excuse me_!"

Leah moaned softly, her voice coming out in cute mewl. "Excuse me…Now off."

"Lee!" Seth shouted.

Jake continued stroking her. "You can do better than that. Say it right this time."

Leah was half on a moan when she spoke. "Just…A…Minute…Seth! Jacob…Excuse me."

"That's more like it." He tugged on her clit hard and she came.

Leah was surprised by how quickly that happened. She gasped out his name, then pushed him off her so she could get out of bed. "Weasel!"

Jake laughed loudly and smugly. "Yeah…I got it like that."

Leah gave him the finger and pulled on one of Jake's shirts. It was like a short dress on her and it was breathtaking and so gorgeous. She smirked at him and went downstairs to cook some dinner.

"Finally! What are you going to make Lee?" Seth asked as soon as she came downstairs.

"Any requests?"

"I could use some barbeque chicken and rice. Would that be too much for you? Oh and where's Jake?"

"I can make that and he's upstairs, still in bed."

"Oh…" He looked at her nicely, noticing a change in her. He knew his sister like the back of his hands. "So…You really love Jake huh?"

Leah blushed when he asked that. Seth has not seen her blush like that since she was with Sam. "I think so."

Seth raised an eyebrow at her in question. "You think?"

"I'm like ninety-nine percent sure."

"What happened to one more point?"

"I do love him, but after Sam…I don't think I can put in a hundred until I'm beyond sure." Leah smiled weakly.

Seth raised an eyebrow again at her statement. "Don't you think that's a bit harsh? You can't hold Jake accountable for Sam's actions Lee."

"I know…It's not like that…It's just…" Leah sighed. "I don't want to get hurt again Seth."

"I understand Lee, but Jake has done so much for you. He has proved his love and feelings for you many times. He managed to do something Sam never did. He fought for you and broke his imprint; that surpasses Sam big time. There's no comparison with them at all. Don't you see that?" Seth reprimanded. It was just like Leah to second guess everything. As far as he knew, she loved Jake for while, even before they got together.

"I do and I'm seeing it more everyday. Seth…I want to spend my life with Jake." Leah confessed.

Seth's smile was huge and relieved. "You do? I sure hope so; Jake is the best. I know he will take good care of you."

Leah smiled and wrapped an arm around her brother's shoulders. "He better; I've been told I'm a handful." She giggled and went to the stove to add some barbeque sauce in the frying pan.

"Good. I hope you let him know he is loved by you. He worked so hard and he loved you since we were kids."

She grinned to herself. "I know; I'm hoping I'm doing enough of a good job to make him see I care."

Half an hour later, Leah brought Seth his dinner and took a plate up to Jake in bed. The smell of the food hit Jake's nose and his stomach growled. His wolf purred at the thought of being fed. He did need some energy after the day him and Leah had. "Something smells delicious babe."

"That's because it's your dinner." Leah said as she smiled at him and walked back into the bedroom towards him. She kissed his forehead and handed him the plate.

"Mm barbeque chicken and rice…Smells great. You will make a wonderful wife someday Lee."

Leah smiled weakly. "Is that a hint?"

"I'm just paying you a compliment that's all." Jake paid close attention to her face.

"Oh…" Leah looked away from him when he said that, standing up again and going to the closet.

"I do know when I want to get married, it would be to you." Jake confessed. "I have no doubt about that."

Leah turned back to look at him. "Really?"

Jake smiled at her. "Really…It would be you. It was always you Lee."

Leah grinned at him, jogged over to the bed, and jumped on him playfully. She slathered kisses up the side of his neck.

"Hey watch the food babe; I don't want it to spill." He laughed as he set the plate aside on the nightstand and held Leah in his arms. "What's with the kisses?"

"What? If you don't like it, I won't kiss you anymore."

Jake scoffed. "You know what I mean; don't be such a smart-ass." His face got serious. "You think I would not marry you?"

"No…I was just hoping I'd get to hear you say it." Leah kissed him lovingly.

Jake kissed her back then pulled away. "Well now you heard it."

Jake went back to eating and the two of them stayed in bed, cuddling and just being close to each other.

The next night, the packs arrived at Leah's and Seth's house around eight. Leah was called in to work so she could not go on the shift for that day or go with Jake to his dad's. When the packs entered the Clearwater house, their food was on the table, but Leah was nowhere to be found, even though she should've gotten off work by that time. The Impala was not in the driveway either.

The packs dove into their food and Quil looked at Jake. "The food is great, but where is Leah?"

"I don't know; she went to work today. I was by my dad the whole day doing a couple of things. I guess she came, cooked, and left in a hurry." Jake answered.

"Hm…I wonder where she went." Seth said.

"I hope she has not run off again." Embry added in worry.

"She has to no reason to run off. Knowing Leah…She's hiding something or up to something. I know it's not bad though." Jake mused out loud.

"So what's the plan then? Are we going to go to look or sit him and wait?" Jared inquired.

"I'm not sure; I trust her and I don't want to go barging in on her again. Seth?" Jake turned to look at the other person who knew Leah the best.

"Well I'm not sure either, but Leah always leaves a note saying where she is or would contact me and let me know she is leaving to go somewhere. She's been doing that and keeping it up recently, but this is different. I don't have a bad feeling about it though. Maybe she's with her friends."

"I say we go find the bitch and drag her home; I want dessert." Paul rudely interrupted.

Jake growled at him lightly. "What did I tell you about referring to Leah like that? Don't test me or I'll make you shit yourself."

Quil and Embry snickered.

Paul sighed and rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Jake looked at him right in the eyes like he was daring him to say something stupid again. His wolf was growling in annoyance. "Whatever back you ass."

Paul just stayed quiet, knowing it was better to not say anything again.

"I say let's go look for her." Embry announced.

The packs nodded and they set out to look for Leah. "Let me guess…The beach?" Jared suggested.

"Why there?" Jake asked curiously.

"It's Leah; I know she smells like the beach, the water. Just seems like the place she'd be." Jared said.

Sam spoke up for the first time since he got there, his voice deep and gruff. "Leah loves the beach; she probably went there to think."

"Yeah and she works a bikini like no other girl I know." Jared added.

Jake could not help but to snarl at him. "What's it going to take for you guys to lay off my girl?"

Seth just scoffed. "Jake just ignore them for the time being…They're stupid. At least you know your girl, I quote _works a bikini like no other girl you know_. That means Leah is more beautiful than any other girl in the whole reservation, including these idiots' imprints, except for Claire. She's just too cute and adorable." Seth said.

Sam, Paul, and Jared rolled their eyes, while Quil grinned in pride.

Seth was very smug when they all looked at him. "What? She's my sister and she _is_ the most beautiful girl around here. You guys know it's true that's why you can't say shit."

"Let's not talk about it." Paul said.

Seth only rolled his eyes, but still smiled smugly at Paul. "Yeah let's not you son of a bitch."

Jared shook his head. "He gets more and more like his sister every damn day."

Jake could only look at Seth with pride.

"Would you look at that?" Paul pointed to the beach. There was the ass of the Impala, halfway off the parking lot and mostly in on the sand. Music was blaring from the car's radio and they could hear many voices.

As the packs got closer to the beach, they headed in the direction that Paul pointed out. They saw about twelve or thirteen people, Leah included, as they got closer. Leah was leaning against the hood of the Impala with Kyle, who was busy rolling a joint. There was a large bonfire in the middle of the circle surrounded by logs, all of their faces and bodies were aglow in the warm firelight. Some were roasting food, but they still had beers in their hands. There was music playing from a battery-operated radio. Leah was rocking her hips to it, mouthing the words as the song came to a close and another began.

"I still say this is the best summer song you guys are going to have this year. I love it and I'm addicted." Sid said as he sat on one of the logs bopping his head to the beat.

Paul was surprised to see his cousin, Sid there. He never knew him and Leah were so tight like that. He wondered when exactly that happened. He knew they knew each other because of him, but did not think they would be close like this. It was a little unsettling he had to admit. Him and Sid hardly ever saw each other.

"Yeah Chad and Leah always make good beats you can dance to." Jenny added.

"Laurie mixes kickass beats too." Mark announced.

Laurie was sitting on one of the logs and she grinned. "Thanks babe."

Mark winked at her, taking a gulp of his beer. The whole crowd was dressed in nice summer clothing and most of them were buzzed. Caitlyn and Mallory, two of Leah's best friends, were dancing a few feet away, looked slightly more than buzzed.

"I hope we get a lot of venues this summer." Leah finally said as she continued rocking her hips to the songs on the radio.

"We will." Lucas confirmed as he blew out some smoke from his big cigar and took a swig of beer.

All Jake could do was stare at Leah in awe. He was mesmerized by her singing in that he never heard her sing before. He could not believe she could sing and kept it from him. She was having a bonfire with her friends and did not tell him. Even if she did, he would not have mind being that they were her friends, but it was annoying that she would just up and leave and not say where she went. Hence the consideration problem, but he shrugged it off. At that moment, he was more surprised than upset. The others were also stunned and just stood there with their mouths hanging open.

Minutes later, Leah and Chad were soon laughing and grabbing each other's hands, walking out onto the clear sand to dance with Caitlyn and Mallory and singing as they go. Jenny soon ran to join them to dance as well.

It was weird for the packs to see Leah and her friends interact like that. The packs knew by word of mouth that Chad and Jenny go out, yet as he and Leah danced together, no one looked weirded out by it. Especially considering a certain two cousins' history. Once the song came to an end, everyone was laughing and drinking. Those who were on the sand dancing, came back over and sat down again. Leah leaned back against the hood of the Impala.

The packs were just watching quietly; they did not want to interrupt the friends' get together. They could not stand Kyle, but they were seeing Leah in a way they've never seen her before. Sam, especially was disappointed; he never knew Leah to be like this. He was full of shame and guilt. One of Leah's friends spoke up and broke the guys out of their thoughts.

"So why didn't the guys come out then if you are so tight again?" Scott asked. He was the one who visited Leah with Kyle a while back.

The packs listened closely.

"We're not tight per say, but things are better then they were before. They're patrolling I think." Leah pulled out her phone. "I expected them to call or text me, but nevermind…My phone's dead." She sighed. "It's my fault."

"At least you did not lose it like last time. You got to buy yourself a new phone every six months cause you manage to beat it up so bad and so fast." Sid said as he laughed at her.

Leah laughed. "Fuck off." She turned serious. "Like…Maybe it's a good thing they're not here…I think. Like…I know they don't like the fact that I drink."

The packs were stunned from not having seen Leah like this before. She was so carefree and open. Just from those couple sentences, they discovered that. Jake was the one who was effected the most. He felt that was more to Leah than she let on; like she was not being her whole self with him.

Leah continued to speak, snapping them out of their musings. "I feel like they think I only drink and stuff because of all the shit I've been through, but it's really not like that." She took a swig of beer. "Like…This is the way I see it. Outside a world where we didn't phase, and everything never got shot to hell, it would be them here with me getting drunk. It's _supposed_ to be them here with me getting drunk like there was no tomorrow, but that was the plan when we were all young. We were to grow up, get laid a lot, get jobs, and party."

The packs' eyes widened as they continued to listen. It was a good thing they had super hearing cause they had to stay a good distance back so Leah wouldn't catch their scents.

"But no…Like Emily, Rachel, and Kim…They don't drink. Ever since we phased, the elders told us drinking and drugs are bad for our metabolism or something so the guys probably wouldn't now anyway. It sucks because I would _love_ to be the person who gives them their first beers." Everyone laughed. "I want to get them drunk, let them experience life a little more. Drinking is not always bad; it depends on the intentions of it. The pack and I, drinking and having fun would not be a bad thing at all cause we would have each other. We're not strangers and we know each other well and trust that we would take care of one another. Know what I mean?" Leah asked as she took another swig of her beer.

They could not even be more shocked than they were before; their mouths have not closed yet. They never knew Leah felt like that. Leah's friends knew of their secret and everything. How could she? Why would she? The guys were kind of confused cause it was their secret to tell, not Leah's. They wondered why she would risk them like that. Jake's face was a mixture of emotions: hurt, angry, happy, and just plain confused.

"I know I bitch and I complain…" Leah looked down and took another swig. "But they lost a whole lot more than I did. Sure I lost Sam, I lost my best friend, my mom and my dad and pretty much what makes me female all in one day. However, the guys lost themselves. They don't even know because they were not the ones watching from the outside, noticing the changes that took place day after day."

Sam and Jake's eyebrows raised simultaneously at that statement. The others just looked on, not saying a word, or even moving an inch.

Leah's face turned wistful in remembrance of something and she spoke again, her voice had a trace of excitement and pride. "Quil was one the best fucking dirt bike rider I had ever seen in my life. Now he doesn't touch the damn things anymore because Claire's mom thinks they're dangerous."

Quil perked up and he smiled at first, then his face went blank. He remembered dirt bike riding was his favorite hobby and then he imprinted and Claire's mom hated it. She asked him not to ride it anymore claiming she did not want him to get hurt and Claire would lose him if something did.

Leah did not stop there; she continued to speak. "Jared was once, believe it or not, an interesting person. He used to notice things about girls, like interesting things. For example, he would notice their eyes and anything else on them that would make them special. He had a gift of some sort, but he never took the time to explore it. He imprinted and now he's with Kim, the most plainest and boring person I have ever met."

Jared pouted in remembrance…He did used to like green eyes. He remembered he would always point out the body part on a girl that would make her unique. Green eyes were his favorite though and now as he pondered, Kim's eyes were brown. She really was_ boring_.

"Then there was Embry. Embry was probably my best friend way back then. Him and Jake were tied in that department and I love that." She paused in remembrance.

It was Embry's turn to perk up.

"Embry and I used to get into trouble and a whole other bunch of shit. We'd steal five-cent candies from Mr. Gibbens store, skateboarding on the road, ditching school and we just always had a laugh about any and everything. He was always with his mother too, never leaving her side cause it was only them all of his life. I know he still loves his mom, but he really doesn't go home much anymore…And he is a momma's boy." Leah declared with a chuckle.

Embry was listening intently and he remembered. He loved his mom so much cause she was the one who took care of him by herself. She made a lot of sacrifices to make him happy. She even knew about his phasing and supported him all the way. He could not keep it from her and sneaking out late at night, being secretive, and repeatedly hurting his mother became too much so he told her the truth and she accepted it without any problems. He really did have the best mother a child could ever ask for. Hearing Leah say those things, gave him a wake up call and he knew he needed to spend more time with her. He put his head down in shame, realizing now, he needed to be better son to his mom.

Leah continued with another pack brother. She was in some sort of trance and decided to go down to each and every brother. Somehow, thinking about the old days, made her feel good. She believed a little bit of who the boys used to be were still inside of them somewhere. They just needed a boost in coming out. "And Paul…" She laughed sarcastically. "You know we never got along that well, but we _never hated_ each other like we do now, or should I say, like he hates me now."

This caught Paul's attention; his gaze turned hard and his body still.

"We used to play stupid pranks on each other and we thought it was very funny back then. One time, he put itching powder in my underwear after I slept with Sam. I got all itchy and shit and I was going crazy with worry that Sam gave me an STD or something."

The crowd around Leah laughed.

Paul smirked in reminiscing. He got her good that day and had a great laugh from it.

"I was on my way to the clinic when he finally told me he put itching powder in my panties. That was evil, but so fucking funny." Leah laughed in remembrance.

Paul snickered sadly. "Yeah…that was good." He whispered to himself.

"Yeah…That cousin of mine…Man he's a handful." Sid exclaimed with a laugh.

"Yeah more than handful…" Leah agreed. "But now today…"

"He's a dick. Sorry but I don't like him at all." Rory interrupted and announced.

"You don't know the real Paul…We all were close until after all the shit that went down." Leah reminded.

Paul growled, then softened a bit when he heard Leah's words.

"I even watched my own brother change. Seth…Yeah he's always been happy-go-lucky, really. But the thing is, about he and Embry, I've noticed a pattern." Leah stated.

"Pattern?" Jenny asked.

Leah nodded and finished a beer, then took another out of the cooler. "They're going to imprint soon. It happened before with Paul, Sam, Jared, and Jake."

If the guys were not confused then, they sure as hell were confused now. Seth and Embry, in particular, were very curious.

"There's a month of really, really snappy behavior. You change in that month, like parts of your personality. It's like I can see the strings in their heads getting ready to attach to some random chick." Leah was disgusted when she said that; she hated imprinting. "_Another_ girl I'll probably hate and find a damn good reason to. I'm hoping I'm just paranoid, really."

"Maybe you are. Seth and Embry are very dear to you and maybe you just don't want to lose them so you're probably scared." Laurie soothed.

Leah smiled weakly. "Maybe…I hope I am wrong. I do not want Seth and Embry mind-raped too. Hell I hate to say it, but I probably _will_ kill the girl my brother imprints on just out of principle even if he hates me for the rest of his life. When he finds someone he actually loves, he'll thank me…If he hasn't shot me."

Embry really and truly did not want to imprint. He saw how it made his friends and he did not want to be like that…A zombie.

Seth was sad to hear that. 'Leah doesn't actually think I'll abandon her, does she?' He would never do that. He loved his sister too much to even think of that. The possibility of that happening was none. He was sure that whoever he ended up with, Leah would love her. He valued her opinion very much and he would surely ask her her thoughts on the girl he decided to bring home.

The Makah crowd chuckled.

Leah sighed, catching everyone's attention again. "Don't even get me started on Sam."

Sam jumped when he heard his name from Leah's mouth. He could not help but to step a little closer, curious in hearing what she had to say about him.

"You know what? Here's what the pack, to this damn day, does not seem to get. This magic shit has blocked them from being able to understand. If Emily came to visit and Sam fell in love with her the _natural _way, the _real _way, the way all of those boys' _parents fell in love so they were created_, I would've been fucking _fine_. Falling out of love happens; hell it's actually normal! It wouldn't have stopped me from hating Emily, but you get the idea." Leah shrugged and took a long swig of her beer. "Sam, Paul, Jared, and Quil, and Jake…once upon a time, it's pretty much rape. It's having something taken from you and thrust upon another. It's losing your control and your free will."

'What about me?' Jake thought. 'I took my chance and made my choice.' He was confused and sort of hurt.

Jake should not have jumped ahead cause Leah was not finished. "_That_ is what I hate. I've got new faith for those four. Jacob _broke_ his imprint and I think he's pretty happy. Since he did it, I know the others can. This just means that Sam didn't love me as much as he thought, but now I'm with Jake and I'm fine with that."

Sam was so hurt and full of regret and shame; he did not like hearing that at all. He did love Leah with everything he had. He did not get why she would think that. He was told he had no choice and he did not understand why she refused to believe him.

Jake on the other hand, smiled widely when he heard what his girl said about him. He felt better and was a little content, but he could not help but still feel confused. He wondered if Leah was happy with him…Like sincerely, truly happy. From the sound of it, she might not be. Maybe she was missing something from her life, something he was not able to give. He was not so sure and was beginning to feel like he was not enough for her. His confidence went down a little and he did not know what to think. Unbeknownst to Leah, he has been making plans for them. Now, he was not so sure about going forward with those plans.

Once again, Jake got a little too ahead with himself and Leah continued to speak, pouring her heart out. Her face grew into a slow smile when she mentioned the next person. "And Jake…He smiles again now." She picked at the label of the beer bottle in her hand. "I remember when he stopped smiling after Bella, but now the imprint is broken and on top of that, I'm seeing more and more of the old Jacob Black everyday. I actually _jumped_ on him today. I can't even remember the last time I jumped. I don't feel weird for laughing around Jake now; I don't feel sad around him or angry. He's just Jacob and I fucking love it."

Jake laughed quietly to himself at that. He was happy and his wolf purred at her words. For a second, he forgot all about his wolf since it was so quiet, but now, hearing it's girl speak so fondly of it, made it feel nice. His wolf wanted Jake to march over there, kidnap her and just run away with her. He refused it and planted his feet firmly into the ground, intent on listening to her talk some more.

"Man…I love those boys, each in their own way and I always will. That's why I got so angry because up until now, there are _still_ parts missing. They weren't the guys I loved and grew up with. I wanted to leave and let them get on with whatever they were doing with their lives because of the way they were acting, what they loved for when it wasn't their own choice…It will _never_ be me. If I was to imprint today, I would shoot myself in the head. You guys know I would do it for sure. I would get really drink and fried first, then pull the trigger."

Jake's smile left his face quickly. The thought of Leah imprinting and could leave him never crossed his mind. He had no idea what he would do if that ever happened.

Despite the seriousness of Leah's declaration, the whole crowded laughed.

"I think they're good people." Caitlyn said and she smiled warmly. "Besides…I always thought Embry was sorta cute."

Leah giggled. "Yeah he is."

The packs smiled at Leah's words; they loved her too. Jake and Sam were the only ones not smiling as widely as the others. Leah's words were echoing in their heads. Embry's cheeks turned red and he blushed madly at hearing how he looked cute.

Mallory spoke up next and surprised the hell out of a pack brother. "You know who has a really hot ass? Jared!" She exclaimed hotly.

Jared's eyes nearly popped out of his head. It never occurred to him that girls checked him out.

Leah laughed so hard, she had to clap a hand over her mouth and the other held her a thigh. "It is pretty nice." She sighed sadly. "See? It should be you guys with Embry and Jared…Not someone like Kim."

Mallory smiled sadly, batting her big green eyes.

Jared crossed his arms over his chest. He had some thinking to do and so did Embry. The two were looking at Caitlyn and Mallory and they had to admit to themselves that they were cute.

Leah sighed then got up and sat down on one of the logs closer to the fire. Kyle sat down next to her; he was quiet for a while and was okay in listening to them speak. He turned to Leah and finally spoke. "So…You're happy?"

Jake listened intently waited for her answer.

Leah smiled at him. "I think so. Are you happy?"

Jake breathed out a sigh of relief, his wolf purring at her answer. However, the 'I think so' had him a little on the edgy side, but he shrugged it off. No sense in making a big deal out of something small like that. Still, he was not sure he was satisfied with her answer. Maybe he was expecting too much or overanalyzing.

"I'm fried; that's about as close to happy as I'll get." Kyle said as he rolled another joint.

Leah laughed. "Yeah well…You'll find someone like Jessica again someday; I know it."

Kyle grabbed two guitars behind the log. One was his, a regular acoustic and the other, a black acoustic with swirls of blue glitter, was handed to Leah. The packs were surprised at this turn of events. The guitar Leah had was her dad's; they'd forgotten she even had that old thing.

"Maybe there'll never be anybody like Jess." Kyle smiled sadly and sighed, throwing his beer into the fire. "So…You just _think_ you're happy."

Leah tilted her head up to the left in thought with a hand to her chin. "Well let's see; I'll re-evaluate. I have my guitar, have a job, and not to mention I have a hot-ass, loving, hopefully husband-to-be at home waiting for me with the best brother in the world."

Jake and Seth beamed with pride. Their smiles could lit up a dark room if they were place in one at the moment. Jake could finally relax a whole lot better.

"Let's not forget I have my toes in the water, ass in the sand, and a nice cold beer in my hand. Life is good…Life is very good." Leah exclaimed as she smiled widely at her friends.

They all laughed at her in response. Leah and Kyle smiled at each other in understanding and they then played the guitars, starting up a song. Leah sang and danced with her eyes closed, her face in concentration on the words uttered from her mouth. Once the song was done, she answered. "Yeah…I've happy."

Jake was elated at her words; the majority of his worries have disappeared and he was smiling widely. His wolf was howling loudly and he tried to quiet it down less Leah heard it. He always believed that his and Leah's wolves were connected somehow, that they could speak to each other. He felt that connection ever since she first phased. Satisfied with knowing Leah was alright and having heard enough, he turned to leave before Leah caught on to him and the others being there. He beckoned the others to follow him as well.

If Seth wasn't happy-go-lucky then, he sure was now. He had the best sister in the world, despite their troubles here and there, but he would never trade her for anything or anyone. He was glad she was happy and with one more glance back at her, he turned to follow Jake. Leah was alright where she was and them barging in on her would probably ruin her night.

Sam on the other hand, did not want to leave. He was unsatisfied with Leah's thoughts about him. He could not believe she felt he did not love her like he said he did. He wished he could march over there and make her see reason. He was the last person to turn and walk back in the direction of the house.

So the packs went home and waited; many thoughts were going through their heads and they realized they had some things to work through. For example, the couples, Leah's friends and cousins on the beach and how their boyfriends had no jealousy issues, and how carefree and open they all were.

Their imprints didn't like group gatherings and it was an awful long time since they could remember having even remotely half as much fun as Leah and her friends looked like they were having on the beach. Yes…the packs had some thinking to do. They needed to do something and they realized some changes would have to be made.

**AN: FINALLY! Another chapter done. Remember I told you guys about the OC's coming up and they would be used for something? Well this chapter was what I meant. The guys sure found out some interesting news now didn't they? Lol! What did you guys think of all Leah said about her brothers and Jake and Sam? What do you think of her friends? I doubt they'll show up again. Maybe, maybe not. We'll see. Don't forget to review and let me know what you think. I love hearing your thoughts and feelings. Believe it or not, your reviews give me ideas. Thanks so much in advance for reading and reviewing!**


	20. Chapter 20

It was around two a.m. when pack looked up and Leah came stumbling in through the door. She was bleary-eyed, but still looked adorable with her mussed up hair. "Hey guys!" She grinned at them. "You didn't have to wait up for me."

Jake immediately ran over to her side. "Leah are you alright?"

Leah giggled and flicked his nose. "I'm fine."

"We had to wait up…We were worried. We wanted to make sure you got home safely before we left to ours." Embry confessed.

Leah smiled. "I'm drunk, not hurt." She giggled again. She was a giggly drunk. "Besides we should…We should all have a sleepover! Just like we used to! I'll make popcorn! Man I'm hungry!" She exclaimed with another giggle and went over to the cupboard in the kitchen. She opened it and pulled out some popcorn.

"Wow!" Jared said 'cause all he could do was stare at Leah.

"Well a sleepover does sound nice. What do you guys say?" Quil asked as he looked around the living room at each of the guys. He was internally excited to have one.

Embry was the first to agree. "Sounds great. I'm going to call my mom and let her know." One of the things he remembered from Leah's talk about him with her friends. He did some thinking and he decided his changes had to take place that same night.

"Yay! This is going to be so much fun! Jared? Paul?" Seth asked in excitement.

"I think it sounds like fun." Jared smirked. "Just like old times."

"What's it called Leah? We're 'gonna have 'a time'?" Paul asked mischievously.

Even though Leah's smell was still very much attractive and called to them, they hardly noticed. They were too stuck on the conversation they overheard hours earlier and the way Leah came home. It was good seeing Leah in her element and they had to admit to themselves that they liked seeing her that way.

"You're going to call your mom?" Leah asked in surprise. She was still giggly and could barely stand straight, but she was holding her own.

"Yes…She knows I'm over here, but I want to let her know not to expect me and that I'm okay and safe." Embry informed as he moved by the phone, picked up the receiver and dialed his mom's number.

Leah laughed. "Yeah Paul it's a time! And Embry, tell your mom I love her. Tell her I love her so much and she is so nice!" She giggled again, followed by a hiccup.

Embry smiled sweetly. "She loves you too Lee. She always speak good about you too. She was on your side with the whole imprinting mess you know."

Leah smiled this time. "Awwww…Tell her I said thanks. Tell her I'm going to have a drink with her some day. We'll get drunk together and look at your baby pictures."

Embry blushed and whined at Leah's words. "Lee…No not the baby pictures."

Leah laughed and hugged him. "Aw I love you man."

Embry hugged her back, but tightly. The words and Leah's image from the hours on the beach flashed through his mind. Even though he could smell her, it was not important at the moment. All that mattered was showing Leah some love, even if she was drunk.

Paul whistled. "We should make her get drunk more often."

"Not funny Paul." Jake replied. "We can't let her know we saw and heard everything yet. She'll think you guys are only acting nice because of what she said."

Paul sighed. "Right."

"What Jake said is true so guys please…Just act normal okay? Let the change come slowly and go with the flow. Jake or I will confess to her later." Seth added.

All of them nodded their heads in agreement. Both Jake and Seth were right, but they could not help but to think they should just tell her now. It was no use anyway since she was drunk, so they settled for telling her in the morning. Internally, they hesitated on agreeing to her while she was sober because they knew how Leah was and there was a high possibility she would not take the news lightly.

Sam was the only person not saying or doing anything which was not a surprise to the packs so they just ignored him for the time being.

"Baby?" Jake called out to Leah.

"Yes lover?"

"Why don't you go sit down and relax for a moment. Seth and I will do everything okay?"

"There's nothing to do so order some bigass pizzas!" Leah exclaimed.

Jake took that in stride and could only smile at her. She looked so adorable. "Who wants pizza?"

"I do!" Embry, Quil, and Seth shouted simultaneously.

"Me too!" Paul and Jared agreed.

Sam spoke up in his deep, gruff voice. "It doesn't matter. I'm just hungry."

Leah walked over to him, her steps unsteady as she made her way over to Sam. When she got right in front of him, she flicked his nose. "Mr. Gumpy Gills!"

Jake looked at them, his face tense and his body stiff.

Sam looked at her, his face serious, but after a couple seconds, he could not help but to pet her left cheek and then laughed. Only Leah was able to make him do that. He retracted his first statements and said another one a lot more calm, but with a soft smile. "Okay…I would love to have some pizza." He could never resist Leah.

Leah grinned at him and flicked his nose again. "That's better." Beer mixed with Leah…who would have ever thought it would be such a pleasurable mixture. The next thing she did, made even Jake laugh.

"Know what I'm 'gonna do Sam? I'm 'gonna make you laugh more, know what I'm 'gonna do?" Leah asked repeatedly with hiccups in between.

All Sam could do was grin in return. "What?"

"I'm 'gonna tickle your feet because I know you're ticklish there!" Then she grabbed Sam's feet, falling on her butt in the process and started to tickle him.

His first reaction to that was a laugh and he laughed very hard. Leah was so right and he could not believe she remembered. His feet were his weak spot and he held an arm over his stomach as he bent over with laughter. "Uncle! Uncle! I give in; you win Leah." He said in between his laughs.

The guys all looked at Sam stunned and in shock, particularly Jared, Paul, and Jake. They have not seen Sam laugh like that in ages. They then began to chuckle themselves. Leave it to Leah to bring out a smiling Sam. They made sure to store that scene in their minds for later.

After a few more seconds, Leah stopped tickling Sam's feet. Seth shook his head in remembrance. Sam only ever laughed like with Leah so he was not as surprised as the others.

Jake recovered, went over to her, and helped her up. "Baby…Come sit down on the couch for a minute."

Leah, still giggling, held onto Jake and let him lead her over to the couch. Seth already made the order for the pizza and was told it would be delivered in fifteen minutes.

"Great! I am famished." Quil said. "By the way, thanks for the food you left for us today Lee."

Leah smiled sweetly. "No problem…Was it good?"

It was Embry who answered. "It was delicious Lee, thanks." He went over to her by the couch and sat down next to her. "Did you have fun wherever you were tonight?"

Leah nodded. "Yeah…Me and the guys just went to the beach. I'm sorry if I missed you guys. I had my phone with me, but it died."

Jake wanted to question her some more, but he knew she was too drunk to comprehend much so he decided to wait until she was sober.

"Cool. I'm glad you had fun." Embry replied.

The doorbell rang and Seth went to answer the door. The pizza delivery guys stood on the doorstep with the several boxes of pizza,. He paid and tipped the guy, then closed the door. He brought the pizza over to the table and put them down. The smell of the pizza was amazing and everyone, except Leah, gathered around the table to bless the food. After that, they all dug in like a bunch of starving dogs, no pun intended. Jake brought Leah's share over to her and he sat down beside her and ate next to her. Within fifteen minutes, the pizza was all done and Seth went over to the DVD player to put on a movie, while Jake went upstairs to collect some blankets and pillows for everyone to use. The way how Jake knew the Clearwater house, one would think he was raised up there. He came back downstairs with his hands full of pillows, blankets, and sheets and he was almost jumped by the guys.

Once everyone settled down, Leah stayed close to Jake, cuddled into his side and used every free second of her time to kiss him. The other moments, she was either watching the movie, flicking the back of Quil's head and blaming it on Jared, or blowing in Sam's ear and blaming it on Embry. She was in such a playful mood and the guys could only laugh at her antics. Seeing Leah like that was refreshing and them being all together having a sleepover was rewarding as well. It gave them all a break from all of the seriousness from worrying about patrolling, vampires, the imprints, and the worrying of imprinting.

"We should definitely do this more often guys." Quil said while he was laying down on his back on the floor with his hands behind his head. There was serene look on his face.

"Yeah I agree." Embry added, laying down in the same position next to Quil on the right.

"That sounds cool!" Seth could not help but to say as he was laying down on the reclining love seat next to Jake and Leah.

"Tonight was actually pretty funny." Paul announced from his position on the floor closest to the TV.

"I have to admit I really enjoyed it." Jared added from his position on the floor as well on the left side of Paul.

Jake looked around at all of them and then kissed Leah's temple before speaking. "Yeah…Me too. We were all like this once upon a time you know. Sometimes, I wish we could go back."

Sam, who was just quietly laying down on the floor closest to the kitchen and had quite the view of everyone, spoke, albeit begrudgingly. "Well…I did sort of enjoy tonight too and yeah I wish things were back to normal."

All everyone could do was nod in agreement, but the truth of reality is, they could never go back and their lives were anything but normal. It took a while for them to accept it, but it had to be done. The most they could do was make the best of what they had and who they were from that point on. The entire place was quiet for a little while until Jared broke the silence.

He burped. "I think I ate an entire pizza by myself. I am so stuffed I can barely move." He put a hand on his stomach and rubbed it in contentment.

"I am tired too." Embry confessed and then he yawned. Soon each of them started yawning.

Jake looked down at Leah. "Baby are you ready to sleep?"

Jake received no answer, only Leah's chest rising and falling and her eyes were closed. Leah beat them to the punch. "Leah's out like a light."

"Well she worked early this morning _and_ went out on a drunk so it makes sense she would be tired." Paul said, his voice heavy with sleep.

"She had a very long day. Jake can you please bring her up to her room and put her to bed? She's going to want to be there when she wakes up." Seth said as he stood up.

"Sure buddy; I'm on it." Jake lifted Leah up in his arms and carried her to her bedroom to tuck her in. Before he could disappear, he called out over his right shoulder. "I won't be coming back downstairs so enjoy your sleep and see you in the morning."

"Night man…See you in the morning." They chorused.

"I'm going to my room too. No offence, but I love my bed and right now, it's calling me." Seth announced. "Later!" He headed upstairs to his bedroom.

"Later!" They all chorused again.

As soon as Jake laid Leah down in bed, her arms searched him out. He dropped right in between her arms and stayed there. He kissed her on the forehead and then drifted off to sleep.

Downstairs, the guys all fell asleep except one, Sam. His head was looking in the direction of the stairs. The day was a mixture of emotions for him. Finding out how Leah felt about him, to her being all playful with him while she was drunk, to her going upstairs with Jake. With one last yawn and Leah on his mind, he finally drifted off to sleep.

The next morning at breakfast, Leah was the last one downstairs and her smell was unbelievable. As soon as she came downstairs, the guys all froze in their positions, their bodies stiff and erections were starting to form. Leah raised an eyebrow at their weird expressions as she wandered into the kitchen, her hair all amuss, tight pj shorts, and a skin-painted black tee.

"Morning guys." Leah said as she walked over to Jake to greet him.

Jake smelled her even before she came downstairs. Hell, he slept in the same bed with her and he had to get the hell out of there before he did something. His wolf was awakened with a passion and seeing her standing in front of him made him hard. He turned to her and met her halfway. He groped and kissed the hell out of her, his hands cupping her ass and pulling her on top of him.

Leah broke the kiss and just smirked with a raised eyebrow, moving his hands from her ass.

"Good morning baby." Jake said with a smirk of his own, his wolf growling and purring at her. He put his head between her head and shoulder like he usually does and inhaled deeply. "You smell incredible Lee. I could smell you even before you came downstairs. As soon as I woke up, I could smell you. Your smell has heightened Lee."

Jared was the first to move or make a sound and he groaned out loudly. "He's not kidding."

"You do smell so good Lee." Quil admitted.

It was like the night before was forgotten as Leah's smell overtook the whole house.

"Are you sure it's not a new perfume?" Embry inquired; he was fidgeting a lot.

Leah kissed Jake's cheek. "I can tell. So are you going to see your dad today?" She then turned to Embry. "No, it's not."

"Yes I am." Jake answered.

Leah chose that moment to walk next to Paul to get to the fridge and he could not help but to give her ass a little squeeze.

Leah turned to look at him with a frown. "Nice."

"Oh yeah…Very." Paul shook his head. "My bad…I'll step back now." He tried to shake himself out of it and moved away from her.

Quil then walked over to Leah, hugged her tightly, and inhaled her scent. It was like he was under some sort of spell. "You smell oh so good Lee. God!" He pulled her even closer to him.

"Uh huh…." Leah rubbed Quil's back.

Quil held her in his arms for quite some time and could not let go of her for some reason. Jake started to growl loudly and took a step forward. It was then that Quil let go. "I am so sorry; I don't know what happened just a minute ago."

They forgot that the fan was on in the living room and it blew Leah's scent over in Embry's direction and he stood to his feet and headed to Leah quickly. It was his turn to hold Leah tightly in his arms. He put his head on top of hers and inhaled her scent as well and he actually started to howl lowly. He was acting on pure instinct and he pulled her flush against his body. "God Lee…Your smell is amazing. I wish I could keep you here forever."

Jake had had enough and he slammed a spoon he was holding on the counter and it broke in half. Embry snapped out of his dazed state and let Leah go quickly. There were boners all around and surprisingly, Embry suddenly found himself wondering what it would be like for Leah to be ripe with his children. Jake's voice and growl snapped him out of his daze again.

"Stop fucking holding my girl and smelling her dammit!" His wolf was growling loudly and it was screaming at him to attack and then possess the she-wolf. He went over to Leah and held her tightly and kissed her so long and deep, illustrating just who Leah was with. He pulled away and held Leah at arms length and turned to the guys. "You see this woman? Leah Miley Clearwater? She is _mine_! Nobody touches or smells her but _me_! I will surely break someone's fucking hands if he touches her again. Got it?" He issued with a loud growl this time. His eyes started to flicker between his normal light brown to a very dark, almost black color.

Jared growled softly. "Damn Jake…Calm down!" Ever since Leah's smell changed, it seemed like Jake was becoming more like an opponent than he should.

Jake returned a growl of his own, only it was not soft. "Jared…I cannot help it. My wolf is not liking this and neither am I."

Leah just sighed. "Am I ever going to get a say in this?"

Leah was ignored as Jake spoke to Jared. "You forgot…I am an alpha and it is not easy for me to see other men groping my woman. It if was your woman, you would be acting the same way. You know that!"

Jared shrugged. "Uh…Yeah I guess."

Leah looked at the men around her and sighed deeply.

Jake looked around at each of them and they all nodded. "Okay then…Now we understand each other. Fuck! I am just frustrated. Don't you guys notice your own behavior?"

"Kind of…I did notice I was in another world a little while ago." Quil admitted.

"Yeah but like…" Paul groaned. "It's getting worse every damn day! Touchin' or bein' around Leah makes it better, but not as better as sinking myself balls deep inside-" Leah smacked the back of his head and he sighed. "Ow."

Having heard everything, Seth finally came downstairs and joined the others. He was the only one not affected by Leah's smell. "Okay wait a minute. So you guys are all affected by Leah's scent?"

The packs nodded and Sam spoke up for the first time since that morning. He was quietly observing all the guys and Leah. He was trying hard to control himself as well and seeing Jake grope Leah earlier made him almost want tear him apart and claim Leah for his own right then and there. He figured out and knew what was going on for a while now. "Something has changed, but I don't know what it is." He was lying through his teeth.

Jared agreed with his alpha. "I've picked up on it."

Seth shook his head, not wanting to hear or talk about his sister like that anymore. "Okay…Everyone finish your breakfast. We'll talk about this later." He went over to Jake and Leah and pulled them into the downstairs bathroom and closed the door. He spoke lowly so the others wouldn't hear him. "We really need to find out what the hell is going. Let's hurry eat breakfast and head straight to your dad Jake."

Leah nodded, walked back to the kitchen to grab a bagel, then went upstairs to change and freshen up. Jake nodded as well and followed after Leah to freshen up and change as well.

Couple hours later, Seth, Jake, and Leah found themselves on Billy's porch in front of the door. Jake called Billy to notify him of the visit and Billy opened the door before Jake could with his key.

"Hey son!" Billy greeted with a smile on his face.

"Dad!" Jake greeted as he knelt down to Billy's level and gave him a huge hug. When it came to his dad, Jake was very happy and also very protective. He would remind him of his medication, food, and rest. "How are you doing? Did you take your meds?" Jake asked while he looked at into his dad's eyes intently.

Billy rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of a smile on his face. His son was sometimes overbearing, but he secretly loved it. "Yes Jake…I'm fine." He looked at Seth and Leah. "What's happening kids?" He invited them inside and they went over to the couch and sat.

"Hello Mr. Black." Seth greeted cheerily.

"Hi Billy." Leah greeted calmly with a warm smile. She stayed on her toes around the elders, especially Billy since she was together with his son. She also knew he was not that fond of her because of the lifestyle she was living. However, Jake assured her, he was warming up to her slowly.

After Jake made sure his father was situated in front of them, his face became intense and very serious. "Dad…We need to talk."

Billy almost went into elder mode, but he remembered this was his son and they were in their home. His son came first and foremost in everything so Jake had his undivided attention. "What's wrong son? Talk about what?"

"Dad…Something is happening with the packs. They're all acting weird and crazy."

Billy raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Well…" Jake gritted his teeth. "The guys are acting weird towards Leah. Her smell has enhanced and it's driving them crazy, It's also driving me insane, especially my wolf. My wolf has the urge to dominate, claim, and mark her officially as mine. Her scent is intoxicating and very alluring and it somehow calls to me and the others. They get all touch-feely with her and always want to be near her all the time. I hate when they do that. Seth is the only one not affected by it though."

Billy looked confused. "Hm…Maybe the best solution would be to remove Leah from the premises for awhile, from all of you. See if this phenomenon goes away."

"It drives me insane when they touch her so much. I don't even want them touching her at all." Jake confessed.

"I don't get the same urges as Jake and the others and I look at Leah the same. Do you have any idea why she is smelling like that Mr. Black?" Seth inquired. He really wanted to know what was going on. He too hated the guys feeling up his sister.

"You really think removing her from the reservation will help? How so?" Jake inquired as well. "How long do you think she should stay away?"

"Maybe four or five days. I don't have a clue why this would be happening. On second thought…" He paused, wheeled over to his bookshelf, pick up a book on wolf behavior, and then started flipping through the pages.

While he was looking through the book, Jake continued speaking. "Isn't it possible for her smell to carry in the breeze because it's heightened so much? They could follow it and find her."

"Hm…I wonder…" His face suddenly lit up in wonderment and he flipped to a certain chapter of the book. He read it for about a minute then he sighed and passed the book to the three on the couch. "Seth…Jake…this should answer your questions."

Although Leah was the main topic of conversation, she let her brother and Jake do all the talking. She did feel a little uncomfortable about the topic being about her and she was actually a little anxious.

The heading of the chapter was 'Mating Season.' When the three of them saw it, their faces looked confused.

"Mating season?" Jake raised an eyebrow.

Billy nodded and took the book back, then recited a passage from the book. "Mating Season begins in the spring months, April or early May. Female wolves of sexual maturity, two years old or more, exude a pheromone that is beyond alluring and attracts all males to her. This scent states that she has fully developed and is ready to carry offspring. The cycle lasts for about two weeks. The female will rouse through suitors until she finds the best possible or until he finds her. Mating Season is a state of severe anxiety and animosity within a pack, with all attentive males pursuing often just one or two female wolves. It takes a show of strength to win the female's attention, and if this fails, even if the attempt is successful in most cases, all ready males will still be out to claim the female as their own and rights to her womb for reproduction. Wolves also mate for life."

Leah, Jake, Seth just sat there looking at Billy with their mouths hanging wide open. Leah was the first to recover after a minute. "Are you serious?"

"That's the only reasonable explanation I can come up with. Have you gotten any cramps?" His eyes were glued to the book again.

"No." Leah answered.

"You've been phasing now for two years; in wolf years you're sexually mature. Perhaps you're just not fertile yet. It says you are, usually in only the second week of mating season." Billy informed.

Jake finally spoke. "Wow! Dad…Being an alpha…What should I do? Leah is already my girl so how do I keep the others away from her? Do I follow what my wolf's instincts instructs?"

Billy nodded. "If that's the case son, I wouldn't stray too far from instinct. It's your best bet right now."

Seth stood up and began pacing. He now had to look out for his sister's well-being and prevent any of his friends from trying to rape her. "I don't like this."

"I know you don't Seth." Jake said. "So dad…Does that mean I have to mark her and all that? Will that keep the others away from her?"

Billy looked into the book again. "It says here that a claiming mark shows the female is the property of a certain male. All males who know they're below you should know to look and not touch. However, she's still in danger of other alphas and other wolves in power."

"So you're saying that even though I have marked and claimed her, I can still be challenged for her by other alphas? She'll be my alpha female so how would that work? Why would she still be in danger? Would she still be in danger even when mating season is over?"

"No she'll be safe when the season is over. It's also a power struggle. Lower-ranked wolves know they have no chance against an alpha male. On the other hand, other alpha males think they might have what it takes and will try to take Leah or challenge you for her and may try."

"Let me get this straight. An alpha of any other tribe or any other wolf of power could challenge me for my woman anytime he pleases, despite her mark signifying she's been claimed already?" Jake reiterates.

"The chances are low, but yes. It's only during mating season though. After the two weeks are over, Leah will be safe." Billy assured.

Jake blew out a breath he did not know he was holding. "Ugh…That was a little relief. I won't have to worry about fighting all year round. I think I know the answer to this, but I'll ask it anyway. Any alpha or wolf of power who challenges me and we fight, is it to the death?"

"I hate to say it, but yes it is to the death." Billy informed.

"I knew it, but just had to be one hundred percent sure. So just two weeks every year I get to be on edge. Just great. Lee…Are you okay?" Jake asked as he turned to her and took a hand of hers in his.

Seth was silent, still pacing and taking everything in, digesting it.

Leah was also just taking everything in, eyes staring out the window towards the sea. "I can get pregnant; I'm not useless. I'm not a dead-end."

Seth snapped himself out of his concentration, sat down next to her, and put an arm around her in support. "Yes sis…you're as normal as you can get. You can give birth to beautiful children."

"No…As it appears, you're not. But Jacob, you do have to be vigilant and careful." Billy warned.

That caught all of their attention again, especially Jake's. "Careful about what dad? That my girl is at risk of being violated and raped? That does not make me feel good at all. I will kill anyone who put their hands on my girl. If I do not kill, their hands will surely be broken and I will make damn sure they take a long time to heal. I don't care who it is. As long as they put their hands on Leah, they're in deep shit."

"Leah's instincts and hormones will make it easy for such horrible things to happen."

"What do you mean? Leah will actually want to or comply with having sex with them if they attack her?" Jake asked with a growl.

"She'll put up as much of a fight as they'll allow her to put up. Mating Season has it's effects on the female too. A natural submissive complex will come into play. Her instincts are screaming at her to get pregnant just like yours are telling you to get her pregnant. If a rival male is given the chance and he uses his dominance to make her submit, there's not going to be a 'No' from her. It's not her fault, just like it's not yours. This kind of season screws with everyone's heads."

"What the hell? Dad…I can and will not let this happen. I can't. That's the woman I love. I will never let anyone take her away from me." Jake went quiet and thought about his next few words. "Dad…Sam has been acting strange."

"Sam is an alpha male; he's feeling the need to claim and create his own line of pups just like you are." Billy reminded.

"But he's imprinted so how's that possible? He's not even a real alpha anyway." Jake grumbled, then spoke up again. "Even those with imprints can feel it too? I mean…that's a given because Jared and especially Paul has been a lot more aggressive with their growls. Paul grabbed Leah's ass this morning and I wanted to tear his arm off." He confessed.

"I suddenly have a theory of why imprinting has come to be." Billy looked up at Jake and Leah. "Leah was a year phasing correct?"

Leah nodded. "Seth and I were the last."

"I think Sam, Paul, Quil, and Jared imprinted because there was no female around at the time who they could reproduce with." Billy announced.

Seth raised an eyebrow. "What? Are you sure?"

"I'm not one hundred percent sure, but it definitely looks that way."

"What about me?" Jake inquired.

Billy sighed. "Good point. Leah was around at the time of your imprint. Unless yours was a falsified fluke and if that was why you broke it, the theory's faulty."

"So I could imprint again?" Jake's eyes widened in alarm. "I sure hope not." He glanced at Leah then back at his father. "Can Leah imprint?"

"To your question about yourself, no…I'm not sure. I don't it's possible now. To answer your question about Leah, I'm not sure either. Perhaps she can."

Jake's body went rigid. "So there's a fifty fifty chance Leah can imprint and leave me?"

"As hard as it is to answer you, Jake, yes there's a chance she can imprint."

"That can't happen dad. I fought so hard for her. I broke my imprint and I can't lose her to one." Jake looked crestfallen. It never occurred to him that Leah could imprint and leave him one day.

Leah took his hand. "Do you really think I'd leave you for an imprint after everything it's put me through?"

Billy and Seth looked back and forth between the two.

"I did not mean it like that. I just don't want to lose you. I've never thought of you imprinting. This is just so sudden and now this mating season thing and…" He trailed off and looked at her intensely. "I love you; you're my everything. I _cannot_ lose you Leah!" His wolf growled loudly at the declaration.

Leah wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him into a passionate, intense kiss.

Seth turned his head to the other side, not wanting to see the blatant display. He then cleared his throat after a minute. "Guys…Brother and dad alert."

Billy cleared his throat even louder.

Leah finally broke the kiss and pulled away from Jake. Jake planted one more chaste kiss on her lips then turned to his father again. "Dad…What is your best advice for me? I really do need some right now. At least I'll have some of your words echoing in my head in case my wolf and I decide to do something crazy. You know I value your opinion so please help me out here."

Billy sighed and patted his son's arm. "Do what your heart tells you to do. If that's staying together as a couple, then do it. I already told you before to follow your wolf's instincts."

"Yeah I get that, but will there be repercussions for my actions…If I take any? This is my girl we're talking about so I can't guarantee you any peace." Jake admitted. He was always honest with his dad and believe in being straight-forward.

"I know…I'm just hoping there won't be. So…" Billy took a deep breath and cleared his throat again. "Have we fore taken in any…Mating Season 'activities' yet?"

Leah blushed redder than a tomato and gave her back to him. Jake's face also turned red and he whined. "Dad! Ugh…No! No Mating Season 'activities.' Exactly what do you mean anyway?"

"The…The 'deed,' the 'act'!" Even Billy was blushing. "I'm just looking out for you boy; females are highly, highly, fertile in the second week of Mating Season apparently and I don't want…I don't…" He groaned. "Just use a damn rubber."

Jake groaned as well and his face was still red. "Okay dad I know. But my wolf is pretty hasty and moves very fast. I don't know if I'll remember when the time comes. If she gets pregnant, I will take responsibility. Don't worry…You know me."

Billy's eyes widened. "Let's not be talking about 'what ifs' here Jacob. You should try your best, your hardest to make sure you two don't screw up your lives so early on!"

"You think our lives will be screwed up if we make a baby? A baby is a blessing dad, even if it comes at the wrong time." Jake said. He understood where his dad was coming from, but still. He did not feel like his life would be screwed.

Leah sat with her arms crossed, listening to Jake talk with a small smile on her face. He spoke like he really wouldn't mind being a dad already.

"I know son, but neither of you are employed, you've got nowhere to live out on your own and being a part of the pack takes up all of your time! Not to mention you are the alpha of said pack. You don't have the capacity to raise a child son, so just wrap it up alright?" Billy just did not want Jake to make the same mistakes he did. He had such high hopes for him and loved him so much. Jake was already busy and had so much going on. He felt a child would just add more responsibility and he did not think Jake could handle so much at once.

"FYI dad…Leah does work and so do I. There's some things I've been working on." Jake informed.

Billy sighed. "Jake…"

"God Jake…Just tell him you'll wear a damn condom!" Leah shouted in amusement, tired of hearing Jake and Billy go back and forth.

Seth was just sitting down, watching and listening with a soft smile on his face. "I'll be looking for a job soon, so I think we'll be alright Mr. Black if there is a baby on the way. However, I do support you on this one. Sorry Jake."

Billy gave him a brief smile. "Thanks Seth."

Jake sighed. "I won't make any promises, but I'll try my very best okay? Just trust me."

"I do trust you Jake and I'm just looking out for you guys." Billy smiled at him softly. He could never keep such a straight face on his son. "Well…Is that all you need to know? Anymore questions?"

Jake shook his head. "No dad." He stood up from the couch, walked over to him, gave him a hug, then rubbed his cheeks against his, a sign of the wolf in him showing love to it's papa. It looked kind of girly from the perspectives of others, but hey…He loved his dad and was not afraid of showing him affection. His dad was the only family he had now. He had Rachel, but they were different as night and day and did not get along at all. He pulled away but stayed on his knees and gave his dad a soft smile. "Thank you dad. I love you. I'll keep you posted on everything; I give you my word."

Billy smiled warmly and patted his son's shoulder. "I love you too son. If I catch any other info, I'll let you know."

"Okay. Before I go, do you need me to do anything for you? Are you hungry? You took your meds?"

Billy chuckled. "I'm fine son. Go have fun…Nevermind. _Don't_ have fun. That's what responsible parents say right?"

Jake laughed. then blushed in embarrassment. "Dad! I will have fun don't worry." He stood up, grabbed Leah's hand and they both walked towards the door with Seth trailing behind them. "Bye dad…Call me if you need me." He shouted over his shoulder.

"Bye Billy!" All three of them left the Blacks' house with the biggest blushes they've ever had. They all headed to the direction of the Clearwater home. It was already dark. They were so into their conversation, they did not realize how late it was.

"Well that was the most awkward, inspiring, frightening conversation of my life." Leah began.

"I know. I have so many feelings and thoughts going around in my head about what we just heard. I really don't know how to feel. One thing that is sure though. I know how I feel about you." Jake gripped her hand harder.

Leah smiled weakly and nodded. "You know…This whole Mating Season thing…If it's too much, I can go stay in Makah."

Jake stopped and turned to face her. "What? No way! There could be stray wolves over there and I'm not taking any chances. No offence… I know you have your friends over there, but I am not letting you out of my sight. Please don't give me a hard time about this."

Seth also stopped and turned to her to voice his opinion as well. "I don't want you out of my sight either Lee. It would make me feel better knowing you are near and I can see you. I don't want to be wondering about you, if you're okay, or what you are doing, and so on. Please listen to us and don't fight us on this." Seth was right in pleading with her because he knew how stubborn Leah could be.

Leah stayed quiet, looking back and forth between the two loves of her life, her brother and Jake. She was standing in between them and seeing their concern for her made her feel special.

Jake spoke again. "I agree with Seth. Plus, my wolf would go crazy over not seeing you for too long. One day without you, the love of my life is too long for me."

After a moment, Leah smiled weakly and nodded. They were thinking she'd argue with them. Maybe Billy was right about the submission complex.

"You are strong-willed and that's why I asked you not to fight us on this. We love you and we're here to protect you. Your brother and your lover. Don't you ever forget that. Don't let one of us out of your sight okay?" Seth asked. He really wanted her safe and from the way the guys were acting, he would not put anything past them.

Leah smiled weakly and nodded. "I know…I won't." She held Jake's right hand and Seth's left and they all resumed their walk towards home.

"What do you want for dinner baby?" Jake asked.

"I'm thinking that I'll make some breaded chicken wings with butter and herb noodles."

"You want to cook?" Seth asked.

Leah shrugged. "I do every day so why should today be any different?" She paused. "You'll have to tell the guys what's going on too."

Jake sighed. "I will, but I don't know how. How do I explain to my friends/brothers that the reason they're all acting like horny teenagers around you is because you're in heat?"

Leah groaned. "Do you have to say it that way?"

Seth sighed and wondered the same thing. "I'll help you Jake."

Jake flashed him a big grin. "Thanks buddy." He gave Leah's hand a squeeze. "I'll put it better."

"I don't know if I even want to be present for that conversation." Leah confessed.

"Well baby I could understand why you would feel that way. Do you want to stay upstairs for it? I don't want you outside."

"Jake…There's no one outside who'd hurt me."

Jake growled. "I don't care. As long as we're in this season, you are not going to be out of my sight. I want you upstairs because I know that's where you'll be when I go to look for you. I don't want to have to search or call. I want to find you at once. Do you understand me? Please baby?"

Something in Leah's head was telling her to argue back because that's who she is. However, her wolf was telling her to shut the fuck up and listen to Jake. She sighed and nodded.

"Good." Jake hated growling at her, but he could not help it. That was why he followed up with a 'please.' "Thank you." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

Seth sighed in relief. He was glad Leah was listening. "When would you like to tell them?"

"Now I guess…Why wait?" Leah asked.

"Can we tell them in the morning? They'll be over for breakfast anyway and I need a little time to digest everything." Jake said.

"I agree. I need time as well. This has been one hell of a day." Seth sighed.

They all stayed silent for the rest of the walk home. When they got home, Leah made dinner, then they all went to bed, hoping the next day would not be so bad.

**AN: Finally! Another chapter done! This one was long and very informative huh? We only have a few more chapters to go. How did the scene of Leah coming home drunk turn out? What do you guys think of Jake's behavior? Is he being overprotective and paranoid? Or is he doing the right thing and his behavior is good? What about Seth? Is he being paranoid and overprotective as well? What about Leah? How do you think she should behave? Do you guys think mating season is ONLY about reproducing and claiming? Notice Leah's reaction to the guys' aggressiveness earlier in the chapter. What about the guys? Notice their behaviors are already changing and becoming more prominent. Review and answer these questions to let me know what you think. I love hearing your thoughts and speculations. **


	21. Chapter 21

**AN: OMG! I can't believe I reached the 200th**** mark for reviews! You guys rock! Thank you so much! I really appreciate it! It's because of you, this story keeps on going. I love that you're enjoying it as much as I love writing it. I want to thank my beta, MidnightStarr for her lovely skills. This story would not be possible if it wasn't for her. **

It was the middle of the night when Leah woke up clutching her stomach. She stifled a moan, not wanting to wake up Jake. She knew the minute he saw her in distress, he would go into panic mode. She tried to move off the bed slowly, but she underestimated him.

Jake's eyes opened the minute she moved an inch away from him. Her warmth from his side vanished and he sat up at once and turned to her side of the bed to see her clutching her stomach.

"Baby what's wrong?"

Leah sat up a little straighter, her feet hanging down over the side of the bed. "My stomach hurts…Kind of."

"On no…This must be the cramps dad was talking about." He moved over to her and put an arm around her. "Would you like me to rub your tummy for you sweetie?"

Leah shook her head at him. "I'm going to take a late night bath, lay down in the tub for a while. When I was on my cycle and got cramps, soaking in warm water helped sooth my stomach."

"Okay…I'll check on you in a moment."

Leah smiled weakly at him, got up, still clutching her stomach, and walked out the door to go to the bathroom.

Jake watched her go until she disappeared from sight, then he got up and turned on the TV. He was not going back to sleep now, especially since Leah's cramps just started. He laid back on the bed and watched a couple late night sitcoms that were playing. After ten minutes, he could not take it anymore so he switched off the TV, then went to look for Leah. He opened the bathroom door and saw her lying down in the tub, her whole body covered with bubbles. Even with the sweet scent of the bubble bath gel, he could still smell her alluring scent. He and his wolf purred at it and he took a deep breath and inhaled, savoring the scent of the sea breeze with a mixture of strawberries and pineapples. He then walked over to her, knelt by the tub, and stroked her hair.

Leah opened her eyes and gave him a soft smile. "Hey."

"Hey boo." Jake continued stroking her hair. "How is your bath coming along? Your stomach still hurts?"

Leah shrugged. "It doesn't really 'hurt' I guess; it's just uncomfortable." Her head leaned into his hands, her wolf purring at the contact with her hair since it was her weakness.

Jake saw how much stroking her soothed her so he continued. He then leaned down and kissed her. His wolf was still purring at her and just loved her. It told him to pleasure her, comfort her, make her feel good. He had not touched her in a while and he had the urge to do it. His left hand stayed in her hair stroking it, then his right hand moved onto her breasts, palming, caressing, and stroking them one by one. The bubbles were slowly diminishing and her body became more visible.

A soft sigh of contentment escaped Leah, her damp skin glistening in the dull bathroom light and she seemed reluctant to pull her lips away from Jake's. As soon as he moved an inch, she searched them out again.

Jake continued kissing her while caressing her breasts. He started to tweak them, their nipples becoming hard as rocks and highly sensitive. His wolf purred even more when he heard Leah's moans.

Jake did very well to get her mind off of her stomach and Leah grew eager to return the favor. One hand left the hot water and slipped under the waistline of his boxers, damp fingers caressing over his already stiff cock.

Jake groaned at the contact of her fingers rubbing him. His wolf started to growl this time and he pulled away from the kiss and stood up. He discarded his clothes and went to stand in the tub. He slid the sliding glass door closed and pulled Leah to stand. He pressed her back up against the wall and resumed kissing her while his hands roamed all over her body.

Leah moaned softly against his lips as his hands brushed over the sensitive places. She gripped his dick gently in her hand again, beginning a slow, pleasing rhythm with her palm. That was going to lead to his orgasm building and crashing over him instead of taking him by surprise. She wanted to see the look on his face when she brought him to cum.

Jake pulled away from the kiss and tilted his head back, moaning as Leah's hand stroked his cock tantalizingly slow. His right hand drifted to her wet pussy and began to stroke it. As he was doing this, he was watching her intently. He was stroking her as she was stroking him. The both of them pleasured each other to the brink of insanity. They were both panting and breathing hard. Jake took a finger and pushed it inside her and began pumping in and out of her.

Leah gulped, her head tilting back against the cool shower tile and she bit her bottom lip. A small groan of pleasure escaped her throat and her hand on his cock began to speed up. Her hand caressed the head of him before her whole palm wrapped around him again and jacked him from top to bottom. She loved the feel of him in her hand almost as much as she loved his fingers inside her; his strength. She could only imagine what his dick inside her would feel like and she shivered involuntary at the thought. "Jake…" She breathed out, her voice soft. "I love you."

Jake's wolf started to get more aggressive and he growled intensely. He was growling and groaning, his mind beginning to go blank. He loved her hand around him, pleasing him. He felt like he was in a perfect place; a heavenly, serene place where his dreams came true. Leah was his dream, his world. He dreamed, spoke, lived, and breathed Leah. He was loving the rapid movement on his dick and he returned the favor by inserting another finger inside her and the two fingers moved inside her like a scissors. They were opening and closing and touching every inch inside her body.

Leah moaned loudly at the movements. Her hips bucked into his hand, shoulders against the shower tile too as she arched herself on him, panting and moaning. Jacob was her future; at least she hoped he would be. This was the happiest she's even been in years and it was all because of him. Her hand on him moved even faster.

Jake looked at her intensely again, loving the expressions on Leah's face. His fingers moved even faster as her hips bucked onto his fingers. He also moved against the hand on his cock, loving the friction it was causing. He knew he was close. "Lee…Baby…" He panted. "I love you; you're my everything."

Leah squeezed her eyes shut tightly as she let out a shriek of his name, her knees bending against the shower wall as she reached her peak, brought on by his words. The hand on him squeezed before it caressed him even faster, a rhythm his hips could barely keep up with anymore. She moved on him until he was at the final door as well.

Jake's head started to get fuzzy. His brain was all static; he could not think. He was going to cum…Hard. "I'm cumming. I'm cumming with you baby!" He came hard and his whole body shuddered at the impact of his orgasm. Streaks of his white, hot, liquid heat landed on top of her body and also on the shower wall. He then collapsed on top of her, breathing and panting hard. He felt like he just ran a two-mile marathon.

Leah's breathing was just as heavy and she wrapped her small arms around him to keep him upright against her. Using her foot, she started the water again and made it so that the shower rained down on them instead; delightfully cool water. Her hands ran up his back, washing away the sweat and stress in his muscles.

Jake felt breathless; he had no more words to describe how she made him feel. His brain was still full of static. He loved the gentle movements of her hands on him. His wolf was purring at the contact and he felt at peace. He was her emperor and she was his empress.

Leah kissed behind his ear, hands running up over his shoulders and arms, cleaning him and soothing his tremors.

Jake's body was in pure bliss; his one and only was taking such good care of him. She finished up with the cleaning and then he took over and started to clean her. He took some body wash, squeezed a portion into the bath sponge, then rubbed it across chest, back, arms, legs, ass, and also her creamy pussy. He took extra care of her pussy though and then he rubbed her shoulders and also her neck.

Leah loved his caring, gentle hands. They were always perfect it seemed. When she was raunchy, they were rough. When she was upset, they were comforting. When she was angry, they were soothing. When she was tired, they were gentle. And when she was loving, his hands were all of the above and she wouldn't trade a second of his touches. She moved forward and hugged into his chest, kissing his right pec.

Jake held Leah tightly when she hugged him. He held her so tightly like it was the end of the world. God…He loved her so much. He has loved Leah since they were kids and he would do anything for her. She was a spectacular woman who deserved the best there was. He could not imagine his life without her. Sometimes, he still could not believe she was his. He thought it was all one big dream. If it was, he did not want to wake up. However, Leah was real and she was there with him; she was with him forever. He was never letting her go. He cupped her face in his hands, then smiled softly and sweetly. "I love you so much. I will never let you go." He kissed her briefly. "Let's go to bed."

Leah smiled back and pecked his lips three or four times in succession before she got out of the shower and walked into the bedroom. After their session in the bathroom, she did feel better. The intensity of the cramps turned into a dull ache and she knew she could go to sleep now.

Jake followed her with their towels and Leah put her and his clothes on the bed. He towel dried her first then himself and proceeded to dress her. He lotioned her arms and legs, dressed her gently, giving her a nice squeeze in certain places.

Leah smirked at Jake's vicarious squeezes, but could not help the small yawn that escaped. She lotioned his arms and legs as well, then bent down and pulled up his boxers. After making sure they were both dressed and comfy, she crawled into bed, beckoning him in with her. "C'mon…I'm tired." She yawned again.

Jake crawled in next to her and pulled her back to his chest. His hands rested on her stomach. "Feel better?"

"Yes…Thank you Jake." Leah said softly.

"You're welcome. Goodnight baby…Sweet dreams."

Leah turned her head at him and grinned, kissing his jaw. "Love you." Minutes later, she fell asleep.

"Love you too." Jake whispered. He did not fall asleep right away. He was thinking on how he was going to tell the pack the news. A part of him was worried and part of him was not. Eventually, sleepiness won out and he dozed off.

Jake woke up the next morning. Leah was still asleep beside him, but he could hear the voices of Seth and the packs in the kitchen down below. He got out of bed, went to the bathroom to relieve himself and freshen up, then went downstairs. "Good morning guys!"

"Hey." Jared greeted.

"Morning Jake." Quil and Embry said.

"Hey Jake!" Seth beamed. He was the only one with a smile.

The others just nodded their greeting. Every guy, except Seth, was feeling a little strangled. They could still smell Leah, _strongly_, and she was upstairs.

"Hey before we eat, I have something I need to tell you guys. Seth will assist me." Jake announced.

Sam already knew what it was, but listened anyway.

Jared raised an eyebrow. "Please tell me that you know why I'd much rather think with my head downstairs instead of the one on my shoulders?"

"Yes that's exactly what Seth and I are going to discuss with you." Jake assured.

All of their attention were on Jake and then Seth stood next to his right side.

"Well?" Paul prompted.

Jake took a deep breath and then exhaled. 'Man this is hard.' He glanced at Seth and saw him nod to urge him on and reminding him he was by his side. Jake faced the guys again and proceeded to tell them everything, with the assistance of Seth, they found out from his father the day before.

When they were done, the guys, besides Sam, looked at them with their eyes wide and their mouths hanging open. Jared was the first to recover.

"What the fuck?"

Next was Paul. "Leah can get knocked up?"

Quil and Embry were stunned and could not say a word as of yet. They were still processing everything. It seemed like they were more animalistic than they all thought. Seth took the initiative and answered Paul's question.

"Yes…Leah can get pregnant, but only in mating season. You guys must be careful though. Remember…This season causes severe anxiety and animosity between the males. It's not intentional and would not be your faults, but please try to control yourselves. Jake and I will not hesitate in using force to get you to back off if it comes down to that." Seth announced in warning. He knew it was not their fault so he decided the force would not be harsh unless the situation called for it.

"No wonder we always want to kill each other. That part makes me feel better." Jared confessed.

Sam was just listening quietly, not saying a word. He would only nod here and there, but no words came from his mouth. Leah's scent called to him as well and he was too busy trying to tame the alpha in him to care about what was going on.

"Yes…that explains the jealousy. Right now Leah's in bed still sleeping. She woke up in the middle of the night with some cramps." Jake said.

Seth looked at him in alarm, but Jake stopped him from speaking.

"It's okay Seth. I took care of her and she felt better afterwards." Jake gave him a soft smile. He knew how much Seth worried about Leah. He turned back to the guys. "From what I've gathered, she's in the second week already. That's why her scent is much stronger than last week. Be warned: it'll drive you crazy for a while, but at least try to behave yourselves. Any questions?"

Paul shrugged. "I don't think so."

"This is just…" Jared trailed off. "It's not normal for me to want to have kids already, but I do."

"Well go have them with Kim. Leah is mine. I know it's not going to be your fault for the way you'll be acting, but like Seth said, at least try to control yourselves. I would not want to have to hurt any of you. Got it?" Jake asked as he looked at all them.

"We'll try." Paul confirmed.

The others nodded. Jake continued to speak. "I know you guys will want to be close to her and ache to touch her in some way. I also noticed you guys are a little more affectionate with her and that is fine. A little rub here and there or a hug is…" He sighed deeply. "Look…Just know that Seth and I will be watching you carefully." He then growled intensely. "If any of you, and I mean _any_ of you _ever_ disrespect or touch her in any way that is inappropriate, I won't hesitate to kick your ass and break your hands. I will break them so bad, they won't heal for a long time. _I mean it_."

"I get it Jake. If it was Claire, I would behave the same way." Quil admitted.

The others nodded in agreement.

"Okay…Glad we understand each other perfectly. I'm going to start breakfast now. Who wants to assist me?" Jake grinned at them like nothing happened and went into the kitchen.

Seth went and turned on his Nintendo Wii to entertain himself, while the others all exchanged looks. Jared sighed. "I'll help you Jake."

"Thanks Jared."

Jared joined Jake in the kitchen and they both made a big breakfast which consisted of scrambles eggs, grits, bacon, sausages, hash browns, toasts, and pancakes. Each item was in a separate plate and the plates were piled very high. Jake fixed a plate for Leah and himself, poured two glasses of orange juice, then took both plates and glasses and went upstairs to meet his girl. He wanted to give his girl breakfast in bed and hoped it would be a nice surprise for her.

Leah was still in bed, but awake when Jake came into her room. She had an arm around her stomach and her knees were tucked up slightly.

"Hey baby…Good morning. Jared and I made breakfast. It might not taste as good as how you make them, but it's fine and edible." He placed the plates and glasses on the nightstand, then sat down on the bed next to her. He placed an arm around her shoulders. "How are you baby? How did you sleep?"

Leah leaned into his arms, her own arms clutching her stomach. "Fine, but my stomach is killing me this morning." She groaned.

"I'm sorry Lee." He carefully moved her hands from her stomach and put one of his own on it and began to rub it slowly. "Instead of eating all of this food, would you like some tea instead? It'll help with the cramps."

Leah shook her head. "No I'll eat. But can I still have some tea?"

Jake kissed her cheek. "Sure thing baby." He got off the bed and headed downstairs into the kitchen and started to work on the tea right away. He made her some green leaf tea. He remembered making this same tea for his sisters when they got their cramps. He finished making the tea by adding two cubes of sugar and began to stir it.

Jared looked up from his breakfast. "I didn't think you drank tea."

"It's not for me; it's for Leah." Jake said as he turned to Jared with the mug in hand.

Seth perked up from his video game and asked anxiously, "Is she okay Jake?"

"She's okay, but her stomach is hurting her. She's trying to eat her breakfast now." Jake assured.

"The cramps huh? I wish there was something more I could do." Seth said, his face sullen.

Paul cringed. "Ouch."

"She'll be okay Seth. She's strong and it's only for a few more days. After this week is over, she'll be good as new." Jake gave him a soft smile.

"Sorry to hear that Jake. Tell her we're here if she needs anything." Embry said.

"I will thanks. I'm going back to her now. I hope the tea helps." Jake turned around and headed back upstairs to his girl. He came into the bedroom and saw a plate half empty. "How was breakfast baby?" He asked as he gave her the mug of tea.

Leah smiled weakly at him and sat up slowly, sipping at the tea. "It was pretty good."

Jake grinned. "Glad to hear that. I wanted to give you a break and make something for a change. How is the tea?"

"It's good too." Leah kissed his jaw. "Thanks."

Jake gave her another grin. "You're welcome. It's my duty to take care of my boo. Are you finished with your plate? Do you still want the orange juice?"

Leah smiled weakly again and nodded. "I don't think I can eat anymore; I'll puke if I do."

Jake smiled at her softly then grabbed the plates and juice. He ate from both plates quickly then burped. "Excuse me." He chuckled at Leah's face. "I'll be right back." He took the empty plates and glasses then went back downstairs. He put the dishes in the sink then turned to the guys. "Can someone please wash the dishes?"

"Yeah we'll take care of it. She's not coming downstairs today?" Jared inquired. He seemed to be speaking the most today.

Jake raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't know yet; she's not feeling well. It depends on how she feels."

"I'm going upstairs to see her; I'll be back." Seth dropped his controller on the floor nicely then went upstairs quickly. However, he met her on the stairs and he paused in front of her for a moment. "Lee! Morning! I was just coming to check on you." He hugged her and rubber her back. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm being stabbed in the stomach." Leah groaned and hugged him back. It was unusual not seeing him first this morning.

"Did the tea Jake brought to you helped at all?" Seth continued rubbing her back.

Leah chuckled softly. "I only drank it like four seconds ago Seth. You need to give it time to kick in."

"I know; I'm just worried about you that's all." Seth pulled away and held her at arms length. "Sis you should be in bed. You shouldn't move around too much."

"I can't stay in bed for a week Seth." Leah smiled weakly, put her arm around his shoulders, and walked downstairs with him. She was a little slower when she walked because of the cramps, but that was no big deal. When they got to the living room, Leah sank down on the couch.

Seth followed her and sat down right next to her. He could not help but be a little paranoid. Jake sat down next to her too on the other side. Her two favorite guys on each side of her body, one on the left and one on the right. Leah placed her head on top of Jake and her legs on Seth.

"Hey Lee!" Quil greeted cheerily.

"Hey Leah!" Embry greeted just the same.

Sam nodded at her. Paul nodded at her too, while Jared gave her a smile.

Leah gave them all a small smile. "Hi."

Jake began stroking her hair and rubbing her stomach, while Seth rubbed her feet. The guys all narrowed their eyes at the display from Jake. They wanted to get close too but did not know how. Embry and Quil suddenly got an idea. They got up from their positions and went over to the couch and sat on the floor in front of Leah's legs. Being close to Leah made them feel better somehow.

Jake and Seth tensed at first, but relaxed when Quil and Embry just sat down. They did say the others could be close. It was just weird seeing it actually happen.

"Paul can you please put on a movie?" Seth asked.

"Sure." Paul grabbed the DVD case from the table, flipped through it, pulled out 'Rush Hour 3,' then put it in. The movie started and they all turned their attention to the screen. The packs spent their day watching movies and in between ate lunch and spoke. They did this until it was almost midnight where they decided to go their separate ways.

As Leah was getting ready for bed, she was complaining about her cramps. It seemed like they were back with a vengeance.

"Would you like me to make another cup of tea for you baby? It looked like it helped you this morning and kept you for most of the day." Jake said as he went over to her.

Leah smiled weakly. "Yes please." Her wolf was beyond flattered that Jake was taking the time to look after her.

Jake nodded then went downstairs into the kitchen to make the tea. It took him about seven minutes then he was back upstairs handing the mug over to Leah. "Here you go baby." He then sat on the bed next to her.

Leah kissed his pack tattoo on his arm and took a sip of the tea. "Thanks love."

Jake grinned. "You're welcome." He loved taking care of her. He was so good at it, being that he took care of his dad all the time, not to mention he took care of Becky whenever she was sick. Rachel was more of a ride-or-die chick and wanted to deal with her sicknesses alone, most of the time. "You can place the mug on the nightstand when you're done. I'll take it down in the morning."

Leah nodded and finished her tea in ten minutes or so. Then she crawled underneath the covers and cuddled into Jake's chest.

Jake wrapped his arms around her, then started to rub her stomach with one of his hands. "I hope this rubbing helps you. I hate that you're not feeling well. I wish there was something more I could do."

Leah smirked. "Outside of knocking me up? I don't think so."

Jake looked down at her and winked. "To think that in the future, I'll be rubbing your beautiful, round belly that'll be ripe with my child."

Leah smiled at him. "You want kids?"

"Of course I do. I would love to have kids someday. A little girl who's just as beautiful as you and a handsome son who looks like me. Then again, it could be the other way around. Our little girl with my features and our little boy with yours. Do you want kids?"

Leah gave him a bright smile. "You know I do. We had a big talk about this long ago. Well…Before you told me to go back to La Push and be miserable. But I forgive you. I want a big family…Three or four or maybe five kids."

Jake's face lit up. "Really? I want a big family too, but four. I would like to have two boys and two girls, you know…Make it even. Our kids would have each other to talk to. I didn't have anyone; my sisters had each other. I know I had them, but it was not the same. Although I must say that Becky and I were close and still really good. She reminded me more of mom, personality wise. I miss Becky so much, but we do talk on the phone a lot. I hope one day we could visit her. What do you say?"

Leah smiled. "That sounds wonderful. I would love to get to know Rebecca again." She smirked. "Seth and I always made do with each other. Back then…I had Emily." She sighed.

"True but you and Seth were all you two had. Yeah you did have Emily, but that did not work out and I'm sorry for that babe. I know how much you loved her." Jake said as he continued rubbing her stomach.

Leah sighed. "It's okay. I don't want that kind of person in my life. You _still_ don't know all the dirty details."

"Do I want to know?"

"No."

"Let's keep it that way for now. Lee?"

"Mm?"

"I have something I want to tell you."

"And that is?"

"Do you remember the night you came home drunk?"

Leah nodded. "Yeah…Well some of it."

"Do you remember where you were that night?" Jake inquired.

Leah nodded again. "The beach."

Jake took a deep breath. "Well that day you went to work. Seth, the guys, and I came home from patrol to find the house empty, but knew you were home because of the food you left us on the table. We stayed there, ate, and waited for you to come home, but you never came so we went to look for you when it was very late. We thought something was wrong, especially when we could not reach you on your cell. We went to the beach first cause we figured if you wanted to be alone, that would be the first place you'd go. When we got there, we saw you with your friends and I'll confess that we stayed there for a little while just to keep an eye on you and then after a while, we left."

Leah smiled weakly. "Ah…Listened in?"

"We were not going to, but we heard our names and we couldn't help but to listen. We decided not to bother you because you looked so carefree and relaxed so we left you there. Your friends and cousins adore you and we saw you like spending time with them." Jake explained.

Leah smiled weakly. "They were there for me when you guys weren't."

Jake frowned. "I wasn't there for you? I thought I was."

"That's not what I mean. I had people who really understood or at least tried to." Leah clarified.

"Lee…You never told us you were sick." Jake reminded.

"You had Renesmee; I needed someone who was on the outside, like me." Leah said.

"You kept your sickness from us and was going to leave us, leave me. Renesmee? Oh please…I understand that, but I wish you spoke to us a little more. You closed yourself off from us, from me. You pushed us away." Jake announced.

"Yeah I didn't want to get to now you better as soon you changed." Leah sat up and got out of bed. "You will never have any idea Jacob, how bad it was. Sitting in the fucking meadow with all of you, watching Sam kiss Emily, Paul fucking Rachel in his head, and Kim and Jared being so frigging cute it could give you diabetes when I was stuck alone. And then there was you and fucking Bella. Here's something _you_ never knew. I liked you too when we were younger you know. I joined your pack not to get away from Sam. I did it to get to you! I thought maybe _finally_, you were getting over Bella, but no. It was just more shit. Day after day something else happened to make me want to drive the nail into my own coffin even more. I just so fucking fed up with daily life."

Jake perked up at her words and he was stunned. "You liked me when we were younger? Leah…Why didn't you say something? Also…You were so into Sam at the time. How was I supposed to know that? Then when you and Sam broke up, you became so angry and bitter. You pushed _everyone_ away, _especially_ me. I was your friend from the very beginning and I tried to be there for you, but you wouldn't let me."

Leah shook her head in amazement. "You _still_ think the only fucking reason I was angry was over Sam!"

Jake shook his head. "No I did not mean that. It's just that you acted like you did not need anybody or me."

"Look at my skank of a mother Jacob, look at my brother who suddenly has no more time to got to school because he's too busy with this fucked up life! What about my 'best friend,' cousin who stabbed me in the back and oh…I _killed_ my dad! Let's not forget about that. And here comes the icing on the cake; I was dying too. But you're right…I didn't want to talk to _any_ of you." Leah announced, her eyes flashing in the dim light.

Jake got off the bed and went over to her. "Leah…I knew how bad you had it. I can never fully understand because I am not in your shoes, but I did try to help you. I _did_. How was I supposed to help you if you didn't want it? Why didn't you want to talk to me?"

"I didn't expect you to help. I expected you to go on with your little lives and forget I was left in the dust. Because I was content with that then, bitch or not. Because back then…You weren't my Jacob." Leah said as she faced him head on and spoke those words. "None of you were yourselves; sometimes you guys still aren't."

Jake tensed at her words. He could not believe what he was hearing. His wolf was growling. "You have _no idea_ how I felt when you pushed me away." His voice was soft.

"It looked to me like you wanted to spend time with Bella a lot more that you did with me Jake!" Leah spat at him.

Jake's voice was still soft when he responded; his mind still replaying her words from the beginning of the conversation. "I have admired and wanted you my whole life. I wanted to be there for you so much, but you shut me down at every turn. You made it sound like you did not need or want me…At all." Jake's voice raised. "_You_ pushed me into Bella! _You_ claimed to not want or need me at the time, so I was tired of getting my heart crushed so I went to someone who wanted my help. _You_ pushed me into Bella, Leah. _YOU_!"

"Do you think I wasn't tired of the same damn thing? You expect me to be happy go fucking lucky over the man I loved more than anything dumping me on my ass for my best friend?" Leah shouted.

"Oh please…That was not what I meant and you know it. It was always you all along, but you left. You changed so therefore I changed." Jake announced.

"Like I said Jacob…You'll never understand!"

Jake had had enough. He was tired of hearing that. He understood and he did very well. His voice raised even higher. "No! _You_ don't understand! The same way how you got dumped is the same way you _dumped_ me!" He moved closer to her and looked at her intensely. "I was in love with you. All that time, I loved you. When you turned me away, I went to Bella because she helped take my mind off of you…Off of the pain of your rejection. Seth told you how I felt back then and I'm not lying. I loved you so much and I still do; you know that now. You think I had it easy! I _didn't_! My mother died when I was seven years old. My dad is in a wheelchair. My sisters bolted the minute they graduated from high school and left me…_left_ me here to take care of my disabled dad. Here's what _you_ didn't know! My dad was in a depression for five years after my mom died and I had to deal with that as well. Then at sixteen, I phased for the first time. My whole life changed in an instant and it's not normal! I am the true alpha and the next chief of the tribe since I'm Ephraim Black's grandson! Do you know how many responsibilities I would have had if I took the position when Sam offered it to me? Me! A sixteen-year-old boy at the time!"

Leah was taken aback. She truly did not think of all that. "But you didn't, you made the right choice!"

Jake was on a roll. Leah had no idea what he went through and she had no right to judge him. Maybe if she never pushed him away, she would've known. They could've probably helped each other, but no…she didn't want any help. "Yeah I didn't take it because of all the strain I knew it would've caused me. So don't you _dare_ make it seem like I had it easy! Even after all the pain and stress I had, I didn't _run_! I did _not_ want to throw my life away. If I did, who would have taken care of my dad! No one! Rachel and Rebecca would've _never _give up their lives to come back here!"

All Leah could do was stay quiet. Jake never raised his voice at her like that before, but she realized she asked for it.

Jake paused to catch his breath, then continued. Leah started this and he was going to damn well finish it. "I was working too you know. I struggled just like you! I have no mother, but a _disabled _dad, who stuck by me and whom I love very much! Besides, my dad, I was _alone_! I was practically on my own the same time as you…Hell even before you. You don't have the right to tell me I changed and I don't understand! Cause I understand a _helluva lot more_ than you give me credit for! When Bella came into town, she was the only person I could talk to. You were _not_ there. That's how this whole thing started with Bella. The same way how you had your friends is the same way how I had mine! But you don't see me going over to the mansion without telling you anything. Hell…Bella and I don't even speak anymore. Nessie is my friend now and not even her I talk to much. I respect you enough to not rub her in your face. Now you know the _whole fucking_ story!" Jake was panting when he was done and could not stand to be there anymore. He turned around and began walking towards the door.

Leah was in shock after Jake was done. When she saw him turn around and head for the door, she began to panic internally. "Where are you going?"

Jake paused, but did not turn around. "Downstairs to think. I am hurt and angry right now and I don't want to take it out on you or upset you any further. You're already not feeling well."

Leah knew she had to do something. "Don't go."

Jake kept his back to her, his hand reached for the doorknob. "Why? You have more knives you want to stab me with?"

Leah looked away and then changed her mind. "Just go downstairs Jake." She walked to the closet and pulled on a sweater. "I'm going to the beach. Look…I told you." She pushed open her window and scaled the tree.

Jake's back was still turned. "You're missing the point. So it's like that? I tell you I'm leaving the room for you and you want to go out to the beach? You know what? Stay in the house, I'll fucking leave. It's obvious you don't want be near me right now, so fine. I'm sorry if I told you the truth and you couldn't handle it. The truth hurts I know." His wolf was howling in pain and anguish at how Leah treated him. It did not like being mad at it's mate or it's mate being mad at him. Even though he was not at fault, he still loved her and was willing to think of her and make her more comfortable.

"I just want to go for a frigging swim Jake!" Leah announced.

Jake finally turned around to face her. "You know the danger of being out there. You can't go out there…Not in your condition. Besides it's late. You can go for a swim tomorrow. Listen to me just this once. For once, just listen to me!"

Leah looked at him then out at the water.

Jake sighed. "Stay here; I'm leaving." He turned around to walk out again.

Leah's heart was warring with her soul. "I don't want you to leave."

Jake paused again and turned back to face her. "What?"

Leah took a deep breath. "I said I don't want you to leave."

"Why?" Jake's face was blank.

"Because…" Leah paused, then gritted her teeth. "Can't we just fucking forget the damn _reasons_ for everything? They caused our first fucking fight! I don't want to argue anymore." She sighed. "Things are what they are, let's leave it at that."

Jake's face turned hard and his eyes narrowed. "Yeah…We had our first fucking fight because truths came out." His face then looked crestfallen. "For the record, you're the one who started it and accused me of those things. A lot of them were hurtful and you never stopped to think of how those words would hurt me." He took a deep breath. "I am starting to get the feeling that you felt that way about me your whole life and I am not sure of how you feel now. It seems like you had those things bottled up inside you for awhile now and they are just now starting to come out. I have proven to you time and time again how I feel, but for some reason it's not enough. Will it ever be enough?" Jake and his wolf were so wounded. He was battling with himself on leaving or not. "Will _I_ ever be enough?"

Leah whipped around to face him then, tears running down her cheeks. "How could you _ever_, fucking think you're not enough!" She marched over to him and grabbed his cheeks. "I'm _still _here for you! I kept living for you! I still would. Jacob…You more than enough."

Jake's voice was a so soft, Leah could barely hear him. Words could not explain how hurt he truly was. "Am I? Sometimes I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. You have to meet me halfway Leah. I can't do this on my own. Am I enough? Tonight you made me feel like I'm not. Do you have _any_ idea what your words did to me tonight? _Any idea_?"

Leah's grip on his cheeks tightened. "I'm sorry…I'm trying Jake! I really am!"

Jake pulled away from her. "Are you really trying? Sometimes I feel like I'm paying for Sam's mistakes. I just don't say anything because I thought it was not something to make a big deal about. However, I listened to your words tonight and I guess I am paying for his mistakes. I'm paying for everyone's mistakes. I'm giving you one hundred percent; sometimes even one hundred and ten. Can you honestly tell me you're giving your all into this? Are you giving me one hundred percent?" His voice was still soft, but now broken. His heart felt like it would rip in two.

Leah moved forward to him and put her hands on his shoulders. "Tell me what to change and I will. After hearing you talk tonight, the answer is no. I'm not giving one hundred percent." It was very hard to admit, but she had to tell him the truth. A small piece of her did hold back and that was because of fear. She remembered her conversation with Seth in the kitchen. She truly wasn't giving her all, even if it was only ninety-nine percent. It was just that she was disappointed and hurt so many times and Jake was just too good to be true. She was actually waiting for the rug to be pulled from under her and her happiness with Jake would go to hell. However, She knew she would be able to conquer that fear if she had Jake, but now she may be too late.

"Don't change for me; You need to change for yourself." Jake was crushed to hear that. "So I've been fighting for nothing? I've been giving my all into this for nothing? Wow!" He chuckled sadly, then realized something more heart-breaking. "You don't love me the way I love you." He looked at her, his eyes glittering in the dim light. The tears were there, but he refused to make them fall. "Did you ever love me at all?"

Hearing him ask Leah that tore her heart in two. Her grip on his shoulders tightened even more. "Please…I'm trying."

Jake cupped her left cheek with his right hand. "You can't even answer my question can you? You don't love me. You never have and I guess you never will." He let her cheek go, pulled her hands from his shoulders, then took a step back away from her. He spoke again, but with a whisper. His voice was too broken to be heard. "I will always be here for you whenever you need me, but I can't do this." He turned to leave, but paused and whispered his famous words. "I love you; you're my everything."

Leah's heart dropped. "No! I do love you Jacob…Please!"

"But you don't love me enough." Jake whispered then walked out the door and possibly her life.

"Jacob…Please." Leah sank to her knees on the floor and spent another night crying on the floor over a boy.

**AN: You guys did not see that coming huh? Lol! I will admit and say that I cried when I wrote this. Then when I reread it, I cried again. Lol! Review and let me know what you think.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Happy New Year Everyone!**

'**Thoughts'**

'**Communication while phased'**

**Let me warn you guys by saying that the beginning of this chapter has some angst. You are going to get a full view of the insides of our supercouple's heads and know what they're feeling and thinking. **

Jake ran out the door and out into the dark night. He did not know where he was going, he was just running. 'Just like Bella. It's one thing for the love of my life to push me into the arms of another only to be rejected by that same one. She loved me, but not enough. Leah loves me, but not enough. Am I ever enough for anyone?' He stopped for a moment and lifted his head upwards towards the sky. "Fuck!" He let out a scream of frustration. The whole rez could've heard him, but he did not care.

Leah did not sleep that night. Her wolf kept her awake with it's howling and it's snarling. It was so angry at her…So sad at her actions.

Jake found himself in the woods; he was just wandering around. His wolf was so hurt and sad and he could not believe that he put his all into someone again only to be shut down. He felt so alone. His wolf, heart, and soul were crying out for his mate, but she did not want him…At all. Jake could not bear this pain again. This pain was much worse. It was worse than an imprinter being rejected by his imprint. Flashes of his and Leah's argument went through his mind over and over. Her admitting to him about not giving her all hurt him the most. He felt he was played for a fool. After what felt like forever, he started on the path towards his home. 'At least my dad loves me. He's the only person I know that loves me more than enough. He'll never leave me just like I'll never leave him.'

Leah could not believe she let herself hurt him so badly. Jacob was more than enough; he was everything she could've ever hoped to find again and more. So why didn't she stop him from leaving? Why didn't she answer his question and tell him she loved him? Why? She fucked up; she lost him and she hurt one of the most deserving, amazing men ever known. She did not think she was going to make it through this time. Hell even her cramps were starting to get a bit unbearable as her own body rebelled against her.

Jake finally got home and let himself inside. He checked on his dad, found him sleeping soundly, and then went to his room. He felt so empty inside. His wolf was howling in pain, missing it's girl. He crawled onto his bed and clutched his pillow tightly to his chest and for the first time in thirteen years since his mother died, Jacob cried. He cried the entire night until he was exhausted and fell asleep.

The next day, Leah and Jake did not show up for patrol. Paul growled. 'If those two are home fucking like rabbits-'

'No they're not fucking.' Seth said, interrupting him.

'How do you know?' Jared asked.

'Hello? I live with Leah. Duh!' Seth replied.

'Yeah, but you're not home in the house right now are you?' Jared retorted.

'Jared...Stop trying to be a smart ass.' Seth was debating with himself if he should tell them what happened or not. He heard everything last night and could've intervened, but decided not to at the last minute. Leah landed herself in hot water and she had to get herself out of it on her own. He could not believe she hurt Jake like that. He sat on his back legs. He made up his mind to tell them. They were bound to find out anyway. 'Jake did not sleep home last night.'

Quil and the others perked up at that. Even Sam paused in his licking of his paw; he was curious. Paul tilted his furry head to the side. 'Why not?'

'They had a huge fight.' Seth answered.

'About what?' Jared inquired.

'About a lot of things. To make a long story short…Leah hurt Jake…Very badly.'

They were all stunned, especially Sam who thought she was lost to him forever. He quickly blocked his thoughts from the others. 'Hm…I have a chance. I have a chance now.' He toned down his excitement and went back to being silent and gruff like usual.

'What'd she do?' Paul asked. He was curious…Deeply.

'She really hurt his feelings with some very harsh words which made Jake realize some hard truths. He questioned her and that's what the answers turned out to be, hard truths. He left and I'm not sure if they're still together or not. I will say that the fight was very nasty.' Seth confessed. He did not want to give them all the details and thought what he said was enough. He was not going to divulge anymore.

'Wow…Poor Jake. He really loves that girl.' Quil said, feeling sad for his cousin.

Paul sighed. 'He did though. Oh well…Damaged goods never go down easy.'

Seth growled and so did Embry. 'What the fuck? Why do you always have to say something stupid? Just shut the hell up if you don't have anything nice to say.'

'Seth's right Paul. Shut up and stop with your disgusting comments; they don't help anyone.' Embry chastised. He was really getting fed up with his bullshit.

All Paul could do was sigh; he was used to this by now.

'Good.' Quil turned to Seth. 'So where is Jake now?'

'Probably by his dad.' Seth answered.

'I'm going to see him.' Quil turned to Sam. 'We're almost done here right?'

'Huh? Oh…Yeah we are.' Sam was too distracted by the thought of Leah being single. The alpha in him was urging him to go and find her, but he tamed it down. Being an alpha was not an easy job. The urges were starting to overwhelm him. He did not think he could take it anymore, but he was trying.

Quil ran home to change, then went to find his cousin.

Seth turned to Jared. 'You're awfully quiet.'

Jared shook his head. 'I can't believe she'd do that. I thought she loved him too.'

Seth sighed. His nostrils flared with the exhale of breath. 'She does love him, but she's still dealing with some stuff and she wasn't giving Jake the same effort he was giving her.'

'So basically…It was another Bella repeat, only Leah's style?' Embry concluded.

'If that's how you want to put it, then yeah.' Seth verified.

'Jake must be devastated. I am going to follow Quil and go look for him.' Embry turned to Sam. Even though they're not in the same pack, they still show him the respect that was due. 'Sam…Do you mind?'

'No go ahead.' He gruffly answered.

Jared surprised the others. 'I think I might go too.' He phased out and went with Embry.

Paul looked at Sam and Seth. 'There's only one trail left and it's the short one. Do you want to just phase out?'

'You two can go ahead; I'll run the short trail.' Sam said as he turned around and went on his way.

Paul phased out. "I think I want to go find Jake too. Are you coming Seth?"

Seth paused in thought. He wanted to check on his sister, but decided she needed some time alone to think about what she did. He nodded at Paul and the two went on their way to find Jake.

That was the first night in almost a month that Leah slept without Jake beside her or near her. She lied awake in bed, staring up at the ceiling. She was wondering why she made what she said sound that way. She wondered how she could've said all those cruel things to Jake. It drove her insane. She was not the only one who had a tough life. Her wolf was growling in agony, seething in anger at her and Leah did not know if it would ever stop. She was not sure if she wanted it to.

Meanwhile Jake was wide awake in bed. His face was sad and tear trails that have dried on his face were visible. He cried for hours the night before. His self-esteem dropped so low and he found no value in himself. He has been putting it all on the line over and over again and it never worked. He was nothing…Nothing without Leah. However, he thought that maybe it was better he found out the truth now rather than later. He continued clutching his pillow and the tears started to fall again. 'Why? I gave her everything. I don't understand what it is I did wrong. Is there something wrong with me?' All of those thoughts ran through his mind as he continued to cry. He never knew getting rejected by his mate would hurt him so much.

Leah was wide awake as well and wondered the same thing. She wondered why she just couldn't be a sensible person? What was wrong with her to make her like this? She hated herself for hurting Jake. There was no justice in it whatsoever and at that moment she felt contented to die. That was the first time she wished she had her heart condition back since Jake fixed her…_Saved_ her.

Hours passed and Jake was still crying. Leah ripped his heart out of his chest, shattered it into tiny pieces, and then stepped on them. He did not know what to do with himself anymore. His whole life changed when he and Leah were together. He had plans for them in the future. He planned to marry her, but he knew it was never going to happen. 'She doesn't love you Jake. She doesn't need you. She doesn't want to know you. She wants nothing to do with you.' All of those thoughts floated around in his head. All of them gathered there after Leah told him those things. As much as Jake was crying, his wolf was howling.

Leah's heart was squeezing itself to the point where it actually physically hurt. A throbbing ache was deep inside her chest and it brought raw sobs out of her. Her blood seemed like it was suddenly too hot for her own veins and because it was mixed with Jake's, it was hotter. He was a part of her and she wrecked that part…destroyed it. All she wanted to do at that moment was die. That was the one thing that was easy. It would be the easiest way out of her hurt.

Jake was thinking the same thing. It was like their wolves knew what their humans were thinking. Leah was his world and his whole life revolved around her. However, she's not with him anymore. He was wondering if he should just disappear because the pain was too much. On the other hand, he refused to. He had his father to think about and he got over his pain of losing his mother and he could do it again. Even though he was miserable and the pain was choking him, he knew it was only for a time. He remembered his mother telling him a quote. She told him that quote because a friend of his was moving and he felt so sad. His mother told him 'Some people come into your life for a reason, but only for a season.' He figured the season for Leah was over and he would be happy with the little time he had with her. For now, he would allow himself to grieve and deal with this pain.

Leah was so close…so close to being happy. Jake made her feel like she deserved to be happy. Jacob never deserved what she said and did. It was not his fault she had issues and they were unresolved. Hell…She would give anything to go back in time and change what happened. She would do everything in her power to give two hundred percent instead of one. She would make Jake realize how much she truly loved him…_Needed_ him. She had to get over her fears but she did not know how.

Jake could not take it anymore. He could not breathe so he sat up. He felt like he needed to go somewhere…Maybe back to Canada or somewhere else. He could not stay there and smell her knowing he could not touch or kiss her. He threw his pillow to a side of the room and jumped out of bed. He left the room, checked on his dad, saw to it he was okay, then left. He started to walk; he did not know where, but he kept on walking. His mind was a jumbled mess and he was walking for minutes. He caught her scent and he stopped. He looked up and realized he was at her house. His head was fighting with his heart. His wolf was purring at him to go to her, but his feet were planted in the ground. 'No…I can't do it. I won't.' He picked up his pace again, walked off, and ventured into the woods.

Inside, Leah jumped out of bed and ran to the window. She thought she felt him, but no.

Once Jake reached far enough, he took off his clothes, tied them to the string on his foot and he phased. The sensation of being one with his wolf was incredible. He needed this feeling and he started to run. He ran as fast as he could, his paws pounding the earth. The ground was shaking with every step he took. He was running here, there, and everywhere.

Leah stood at the window for a good hour or more. Then she opened it, climbed out and walked toward the beach. She needed to try and gain an ounce of peace of mind back. If she did not, Seth would lose his big sister forever.

Meanwhile, the guys finally met up at Jake's place and Jared was the first one inside since the door was unlocked. "Hey Jake…Are you home?"

Billy came wheeling out of the kitchen and faced the boys with a grim look on his face. "No…Jacob left boys. I think he's on the run again."

"Did you speak to him Mr. Black? Did he tell you where he's going?" Seth asked.

Billy shook his head. "No…He's just running."

"Ugh…Again? Jake." Quil whispered his cousin's name in worry.

Embry turned to face them. "Well guys…You know how Jake gets when he's hurt. He goes running to think and take some time for himself. From the looks of things, he's been gone a while so we're not going to find him even if we tried."

"He won't want to talk anyway. Let's just give him some time. I'm sure when he calms down, he'll come back." Seth glanced at Billy. "He loves his dad too much to stay away from him for too long."

Billy smiled weakly. "Son…I doubt his love for me would be enough to bring him back home this time."

"Don't say that Mr. Black. Jake will never leave you alone for too long. I know it." Seth was always the one with enough hope for everyone. He gave Billy a soft smile.

"Maybe you're right, maybe you're not. We'll just have to wait and see." Billy said as he returned the soft smile.

Paul sighed. "We should look anyway."

Quil shook his head. "Paul you know how Jake is. Even if he hears us, he won't answer. He's too hurt and angry to talk right now. We learned from what happened with Bella remember?"

"I understand that but it still doesn't change the fact that I'm worried. Jake might not come back and I'm not sure how he'll recover from this." Paul stated.

It was Seth's turn to sigh. "Look…Jake will be fine. He just needs some time to himself. He will not abandon his dad. He'll be back; I'm positive."

They all nodded. "Please contact us if you hear from him Uncle Billy. Please let him know we're here and we miss him already." Quil admitted with a sad smile.

Billy nodded with a sad smile of his own. "I will boys…Thanks."

The boys all left after making sure Billy was okay and they headed to the Clearwater residence. Leah was nowhere to be found and they were all worried about her. They piled into the living room, feeling melancholy when Jared came up with an idea. "We should go out."

"Out? Now with our alpha and beta MIA?" Quil asked in alarm.

"It makes no sense to just sit here and wait for them when they clearly do not want to be bothered. I am sure they're fine and they just need to think." Paul said.

"Well that is true. They obviously left to be alone so I guess we should go out." Quil agreed.

"How about the mall? Leah said we need to do more stuff, so let's go out. Actually 'out' for once." Jared suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea. I have not been out in ages; it'll be good to get away from all this drama. I mean I am worried about Jake and Leah, but there's nothing we can do." Paul said.

"Jake will contact us if he needs us, so I think we should go out." Embry added. He turned to Seth. "What do you think?"

Seth was actually very worried. He was worried about Jake, but more about his sister. If Jake really did leave Leah, she would lose her sanity. She would not be able to take another guy she loved, leaving her. Jake on the other hand, would not be able to take it either. Leah pushed him away once before. Then there was Bella who fucked him up and to have Leah push him away again? That has got to be the last nail in the coffin. He sighed. "I don't know guys."

"Why not?" Paul asked.

"Leah is my sister; it's my responsibility to look after her. I know Leah and if Jake really ended things with her, she won't recover from this. I would love to go with you, but I've got to check on her first." Seth stated.

Jared nodded his head in understanding. "Do you want to go and check on her? We'll wait for you to come back home, then we'll go. Is that okay?"

"Yeah…I'll go look for her and then be back as soon as I can. Hopefully everything will be okay and we'll all be able to go to the mall together. Besides, the mall does not close until late anyway. After we hit the mall, we could go to a club." Seth reminded and suggested with a grin. "We have a little time."

Everyone nodded.

"I know exactly where she is so I'll be back as soon as I can guys." Seth went through the door and headed to the beach. He knew Leah always goes there to think whenever she was hurt, angry, sad, or all of the above. He found her on one of the rocks on the opposite end of the beach, hair drenched and knees pulled up to her chest as she stared down into the water.

Seth went over to her and sat down beside her on the rock to her left. His right side was fully touching her, lending her strength. "Hey Lee."

"Hey." Leah gave him brief glance then looked back into the water.

Seth gave her a minute. He was not sure how to approach her on the subject, but he took a safe route or so he hoped and he spoke. "How are you feeling?"

"Why does it matter?" Leah retorted, eyes still into the water.

"It does; stop saying things like that. You matter; you will always matter, especially to me." Seth took a deep breath then exhaled. "I overheard you and Jake last night. You guys weren't exactly quiet."

"I'm sorry." Leah responded.

"For what?" Seth asked.

"For waking you…" Leah sighed, wiping at her eyes. "Everything."

"Lee…What happened? Why did you go off like that on Jake?" Seth inquired.

"I don't know! But I would give _anything_ to go back and change what I said!" Leah said, wiping at her eyes again. The tears were flowing nonstop now.

Seth was shocked at how fast she started crying. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Lee…How many times do I have to tell you that you need to think before you speak and do things? You can't be so hasty. Not like that, especially when it comes to your mate. Look…You will always be you, but you have to try to meet Jake halfway. I did not want to hear or listen, but being that we have a keen sense of hearing and let's not forget you two were loud, I heard everything. I have to admit that I was very disappointed in how the fight ended. You said some really bad things to him. Are you so scared that he will treat you like Sam did?"

"No…Yes…I don't know! It's just that I've been screwed over so many times and Jake is everything I could have ever asked or hoped for in a man. He is too good to be true and I'm afraid that fate will screw me over again and take him away from me." Leah confessed.

"Lee…you can't let your past determine your present and your future. You may have had a bad experience with Sam, but that does not mean you will have a bad one with Jake. You've got to let go and move on from your past and meet Jake halfway." Seth said soothingly.

"Seth I keep trying, but nothing works! I'm never going to be perfect in a relationship again. I don't know how to treat Jake right." Her voice was sad and she was so worried.

Seth shook his head then brought her closer to his warmth. "Leah…No relationship is ever perfect so stop trying to make it that…Perfect. Just be yourself; be the Leah you need to be. Be the Leah you want to be around Jake. Stop trying so hard. Let me ask you this. What do you want?"

"Jake!" Leah exclaimed.

"Well then what's stopping you? I know something is though. Whatever it is, you're not letting go of it. I know I am right about what I said earlier about your past." Seth inquired.

"I mean yeah…the past, in it's entirety." Leah admitted and she looked back at the water silently. "I'm trying to let it go, but I just…I can't…Won't."

"Why? Why can't you let it go? Why won't you let it go? Can't you see what it's costing you? What it's doing to you? Jake?" Seth said gently, but firmly.

"Seth I've been trying; it won't go away overnight. I need something to focus on, but Jake…" Leah trailed off. Every time she mentioned his name, a sharp pain hit her heart and her wolf howled. "Now he's gone. I lost him." The tears continued to flow and she leaned onto her brother and took solace in his arms.

"Jake loves you Leah; he always has. You know what he told me back when all the crazy shit was going on with Bella? He said if only you would give him a chance and not shut him out, he would've been with you. His life would've never been tangled with her…At all. His life would've been a lot easier because he would've had you by his side. I'll tell you again. You can't let your past determine your present and your future Leah." Seth reminded. He hated her being in pain. All Leah ever had in her life was pain. If only she would let all her inhibitions go, she could be happy. He knew Jake was the one for her.

"I know that Seth; I just want Jake here while I'm working through it. I _need_ him. You don't even get it; this isn't like Sam. This hurts so much more." Leah admitted.

"No I don't so I'm not going to act like I do. But what I don't understand is why you let him leave? You could've told him all that you just told me. He would've understood and stay with you because he's a patient and loving man. However, you didn't. You told him you did not want to get to know the Jake he is now and how sometimes he's not himself and you could never talk to him. How did you expect him to feel after hearing the love of his life tells him something like that?" Seth's words were calm and gentle, but hard at the same time. Leah needed to really hear him, _listen_ to him.

"_No_, the Jacob he was back _then_ I didn't want to know. I _love_ the Jacob he is now. The Jacob he is now is the boy I grew up with!" Leah exclaimed.

Seth shook his head. "You're _wrong_. Jacob was _always_ Jacob. You just didn't take the time to find out. It's doesn't matter what he was going through at the time. He was _still_ Jacob. You _assumed_ that he changed when he first morphed and imprinted. You thought because the others changed, he did. He didn't. Even if he did change, it was slight because he had to grow up quickly, but his personality is still the same. If you had taken the time out to talk to him and give him the chance he wanted so badly, you would've known."

"I know Seth. I thought about it last night and I was wrong okay? I was wrong! I love him so much and did for a long time. I guess finding out the man I love feels the same way was a little unbelievable." Leah admitted. She was full of admissions and who better to tell them to than her brother.

"Well Leah…You let your preconceived notions, past, anger, hurt, and mistakes do the talking for you. If you really love Jake the way you say you do, what are you doing here? Why don't you go find him?" Seth asked with a small smile.

Leah nodded to herself and stood up, pulling her brother to stand with her. "I'm going to find him."

"You need to. Because if you don't, you'll let him get too far from you emotionally, mentally, and physically and then you _will_ lose him…For good!" Seth stated.

"I will find him!" Leah confirmed.

Seth then gave her a big smile, happy to hear her words. "The guys and I are going out when I get home. We have not been out in a long time. A little birdy reminded us that there's more to life out there than being a wolf." He winked at her.

Leah gave him a small smile and nodded, pecking his forehead. "What would I do without you?"

All Seth could do was smile brightly at her then answered. "I have to say…Nothing."

Leah chuckled, her first real laugh in twenty-four hours. "I love you bro…Thanks."

"I love you too. Now go get your man; I'll see you later." Seth said as he gave her a small shove in the direction of the woods. She had a couple hours before sundown so she was good to go.

Seth headed back to the direction of his house to meet the guys. They were all dressed and ready to go. He went to get ready and then minutes later, they carpooled and went out into town.

Leah smiled at her brother's retreating back, then walked off the beach and into the woods. It was time to find Jacob.

**Was the beginning too much angst or was it just right? Leah and Jake needed to feel what it is like being without the other, particularly Leah since she was the one who shut him out. The boys are finally going out huh? What did you think of Leah and Seth's talk? I love him. He is so sweet. Review and let me know what you think. I love hearing your opinions. **


	23. Chapter 23

'**Thoughts'**

'**Communication while phased'**

Meanwhile Jake was wandering around the forest. He knew where he was. He was on the same path he took when he ran the first time. He decided to take a break so he laid down on the forest floor. As he got comfortable, his mind was all over the place. He missed Leah like crazy and he did not know what to do. A part of him wanted to run back and the next part of him felt like them not being together was for the best. He thought that maybe he did not try hard enough, but maybe he did. He was not sure. He took a deep breath and exhaled. For now, he would just take a rest from all that happened and just try to relax or else his head would explode. The run helped him a little, but the wolf in him was still agitated and wanted Leah. He shrugged it off for now and closed his eyes.

Leah phased, her heart set on finding Jake. She knew he probably went the same way he did the first time he ran off so she kicked her fast little behind into gear and headed in his direction.

Little did Leah know, there was someone watching her all of that time. From the time she was at the beach, the person was there. The mysterious figure was just a good distance away so she could not catch the scent. The figure was phased and followed her, not letting her get too far, but also not getting too close. As a matter of fact, the figure was ahead of her and was planning to stop her soon before she got too close to her destination.

Jake was still thinking and wondering what to do. His wolf and heart were telling him to go to Leah. However, his mind was telling him not to. His heart and mind were having a battle, not to mention his wolf was also adding in it's opinion. After what felt like an eternity, he stood up to his full wolfish height. The russet, red fur glistened in the evening sun. Other animals in the area simultaneously froze at the wolf's silent, but commanding presence. He decided to listen to his heart and the wolf inside him. His whole being, his conscience, his everything, with the reluctant agreement of his mind, told him to go back to the love of his life. He fought long and hard for her and he definitely could not give up now. Not when he only had her for a little while.

Leah was praying that Jake did not get too far. Then, she picked up his scent. Her heart leapt for joy and she actually barked because she was so happy. She picked up her pace. 'He can't be too far now. I'll make things right Jake. I promise. Please wait for me.' She thought, hoping in her heart she would be able to catch up to him.

The figure was just a little ahead of Leah in front of a tree. Once Leah got near the tree, the figure stepped out right in front of her and she froze in her tracks.

'I've worked too hard and fought too long to lose you Lee. I can't lose you again. We'll just have to work out our differences somehow, as long as I'm with you.' With those thoughts in Jake's mind, he started on the path home, but he was in no hurry. He wanted to gather his words and what he would say to Leah once he got home. Home…That's what Leah was…Home.

Leah tilted her head. 'Sam?'

Sam went into the bushes, phased out, put on his cargo pants, then went back to Leah. "Leelee…Where are you going in such a hurry?"

Leah walked behind a tree and phased out, putting on a plain black, strapless sundress. "I'm going to find Jake."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Jacob? Why? He's long gone by now."

Leah shook her head. "No…I found his trail so I'll find him. Why are you out here?"

Leah's scent hit Sam's nostrils hard and he growled lightly. The wolf in him wanted to get out. "Hm…Your scent is amazing. I was actually looking for Jacob, but did not find him. He's gone. I smelled and then I saw you coming and decided to wait for you." He took a couple of steps closer to her.

Meanwhile Jake was happily padding on his way home, but he was unaware of the love of his life being in the woods with another wolf. He did not know because he was phased and they weren't. 'I can't wait to see my girl.' He thought to himself as he continued down the same path they were on. He was still kind of far, but the urgency to see Leah made him pick up his pace.

"Oh…Well you should go back to La Push. The guys went out clubbing." Leah smiled weakly. "I wish I could be there to see it."

Sam continued taking steps toward her and each step he took, her scent got stronger. The alpha in him growled again and the urge to take her increased. He hid his intentions well. One would never think he was having such an intense internal battle. When he spoke, his voice was normal. "Yeah me too, but I wanted to stay in." He grinned. "Why aren't you with Jake in the first place? You two are hardly ever separated."

Leah looked away. "We had a fight."

Sam raised an eyebrow and looked at her questionably. "Oh?"

"I said some things…Mean things." Leah's eyes were trained on the ground, her fingernails digging into the bark of the tree she was leaning against. "It was my fault."

Sam was only a couple of steps in front her now and he continued to inch closer. It seemed like he was acting in his wolfish ways, stalking his prey and getting ready to pounce at any moment. Leah's scent was silently calling to him and his wolf. However, he still managed to keep a straight face and his voice was still normal. He kept the conversation going, not wanting Leah to notice what he was up to. At the moment, he could be described as a sheep in wolf's clothin, even though that was what he was. It just seemed like he was harmless, but underneath it all, he was cunning. "It was your fault? How? Why? What did you say to him?"

"I don't want to talk about it Sam." Leah sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I just know I what I did and said was wrong. Now I've got to get Jake back if I ever want to be happy again." Leah was not aware of how close Sam was. Her mind and heart were focused on Jake. She could not wait to find him to make things right.

Sam was inching closer and there were only three feet between him and Leah now. "You can be happy again Leah. Why don't you think you can't?"

Jake was still happily coming home. Leah was on his mind and he could not wait to see her. He could not wait to see her sky-blue eyes, rosy pink lips, pert nose, and he could not wait to run his fingers through her silky black hair. His pace picked up even faster, but unbeknownst to him, he would soon bump into Leah and Sam.

Leah sighed. "I know I can be. I just know Jacob is the one to do that." There was a soft smile on her face just thinking about being happy with Jake.

Sam took another step closer. Leah's scent washed over him like a tidal wave. The wolf in him growled again, but aggressively. "Jake is the only one who could make you happy right now?"

Leah did not think twice about it as she shook her head in confirmation. "I love him."

Sam inhaled deeply. "You smell so good Lee. Do you know that?" He took one more step closer and was directly in front of her. "If he loves you, why did he leave? Why isn't he back yet? Why did he leave you alone knowing your situation?"

"He…He was mad Sam." Leah finally paid close attention and realized how close Sam was. She changed the subject quickly. "Why aren't you home with Emily?"

Sam raised an eyebrow for what seemed like the umpteenth time that evening. "Emily? Oh…She's home. She'll be fine; she knows I'm out and about." His eyes turned a very dark shade of brown. It was a color Leah has never seen before on Sam. His look was intense and he took his last step forward and trapped her against the tree. He placed his hands on either side of her head; she had no place to go. "You want to know something?"

Leah gulped slightly. "What?"

Sam leaned forward to her left and whispered in her ear. "I love you and I want you for my own."

Warning bells went off in Leah's head immediately. Sam would not say this…not now. "Is this some kind of joke? Because if it is, it's not funny to me Sam so back off."

"No…It's not funny, but it's the truth." Sam's head was still on her left and he grazed her ear with his lips. "Your smell is so enticing and it's calling to me. That, along with my love for you, makes me want you even more. I am going to take you right now. Jake is not coming back so you might as well give in."

Leah's eyes widened a little and she pushed him away from her. "Don't you dare say that to me!"

Jake's distance from Leah was getting smaller which indicated he was going to be there soon. Because Leah's scent is so strong, he picked up on it. 'Hm that's funny. That scent smells just like Leah.' The wind suddenly picked up and blew in his direction carrying the scent and it hit him again. 'That _is_ Leah's scent. That means she must be close.' He picked up his pace even faster. 'I have to get to her. Leah should not be in the forest alone.'

Leah pushed Sam, but not far enough. Sam hardly budged. As quickly as she pushed him, he had her back against the tree just as quickly. "Do not fight me Leah. You will only tire yourself out. I am stronger than you; you know that." He put his face directly in front of hers and he could feel Leah's breath on his lips. "You belong to me now. I am going to claim, mark, and breed you. Our babies will be the strongest babies in the whole tribe. Full-blooded babies…I love the sound of that. Don't you?"

Leah's eyes nearly bulged out of her head and her heart rate picked up. "No…Sam you have Emily! Go home to her and leave me alone! You _had_ your chance and you wasted it! I'm Jacob's!"

As Jake was tramping on the forest floor, another wind, stronger, blew in his direction and this time, he caught another scent besides Leah's. It was a scent that was so familiar, but Leah's scent was overpowering it. 'Damn…Leah's not alone. If Leah's in the forest and another wolf is there too, then that means…Fuck!' It hit him that Leah was in trouble and his tramping turned into a full-blown run. 'Someone found her. Please don't let it be one of the guys.' He did not want to have to resort to desperate measures if it was one of his brothers. He prayed to God that he would reach there in time.

"Emily is my imprint and we will make beautiful children together, but my and your children will be better. They'll be more handsome, gorgeous, and much more powerful. I had my chance, but I have another one now. Jacob's?" Sam laughed. "No you're not Jacob's. If you were his, he would've claimed you by now." His face turned serious and he growled. His eyes were pitch black and they glowed. "But he didn't and now you are mine!" With that said, he took her and threw her on the ground.

"Sam I am not going to be some whore for you to fuck on the side!" Leah gasped as she looked up at him from the ground. "How could you want that for me? Pregnant with kids…You can't say they're yours because Emily wouldn't stay with you!" Her heart rate increased even faster and she could hear the vibration of her pulse in her ears. She had to keep him talking.

"I want you for myself. If I can't have you, then no one else can. I know when I claim you, you can't go to anyone else. I don't know how to break the imprint like Jacob. I don't even know if I can. Emily will never leave me. She's drawn to the imprint as much as I am." Sam proclaimed which was indeed true. The imprints did feel the connection as well as their imprinters. He stalked over to her and ripped off his pants. His erection was standing firm and large. He was packing, that much was true, but he could never compare to Jacob. Besides, it was Jacob's dick that Leah wanted.

Leah started to scream. She screamed as loud as she could, hoping someone would be able to hear her. Her voice echoed through the forest and she hoped since the wind was strong, it would carry it as far as it could. "Sam get away from me!" She knew she could put up a fight, but he was stronger than her. She did not know what she could do. Even if she tried, she would not last long. She had to think of something.

In the meantime, Jake was running and following the scent when he heard a voice. It was faint, but it sounded like a scream. 'Leah! That's got to be her.' He growled and started to run even faster. 'I'm coming Lee. I'm coming.'

Sam was standing directly over her. He stooped down to his knees. His cock was standing straight up that it was touching his stomach. Every time he inhaled Leah's scent, it twitched and pulsed. "Do you see what you do to me?" He pointed to his cock. "I am going to bury this so deep inside you, you'll feel it in your stomach." The wolf in him growled in excitement. It could not wait to make her his. It could not wait to see the alpha mark on her, his mark.

Leah's wolf was reeling; it was threatened and frightened. This wasn't her mate. It could not end like this. Her heart and thoughts thrummed a steady beat of 'Jake, Jake, Jake.' She gritted her teeth. "Fuck you Uley!" She kicked him hard in the gut. She had the strength of a wolf too and she was going to use it.

If only it worked like it should. The kicked hardly fazed Sam. He only flinched and it made him angry. While she was struggling to get away, he shook his head and grabbed her quickly before she could get too far. He held her two small hands behind her back with one hand and used the other to slap her. The impact was so hard and loud, that it echoed. "I told you not to fucking fight it. Now you're going to get it." He growled again and then ripped her dress off of her and threw it into the nearby bushes. He saw she had on a thong and he ripped it too and threw it.

Leah was beyond terrified at the moment. Even she knew this wasn't her Sam. He would've never treated her this way, but it did not stop her from hating him with every fiber of her being and wishing to God it was Jacob. However, she hurt him and he was gone. As she realized that she probably would never be Jake's, a sob escaped her and she started to cry. Her tears stung her red cheek and she sobbed and begged. "Please…Sam…Don't!" Part of her, mainly the wolf within who was still angry at her for hurting her rightful mate thought that maybe this was all she deserved. She deserved this for hurting the love of her life.

Jake was running furiously. His heart was beating so hard; he had a horrible feeling in his gut. He was growling and snarling at the thought of Leah being in trouble. If that was truly the case, then this day would not end too well. Leah's scent became heavy and the other scent was still there. He decided he would find out who the other being was when he got there. All he was worried about was his girl. He pushed himself even harder, running like the wind. 'Hold Lee…I'm coming.'

Leah's pleading excited Sam, rather than dissuade him. The alpha in him was pleased at the fear in the female's voice. He could not wait to do the deed. He threw her on the ground again and then kneeled before her. He pried her legs apart and his eyes glazed over once her scent hit his nostrils again. "Fuck!" She smelled so exotic. She always smelled like the ocean with a mixture of strawberries and pineapples, but it was heightened and strong. "You smell so fucking good." He put his head directly in front of her pussy and inhaled deeply like he needed the scent to breathe. His wolf was telling him to hurry, but he wanted to take his time. He wanted to savor this moment.

Leah was shivering, shaking really. "Sam stop! Please!" She has never been more afraid, outside of the day she saw those vampires about to kill her Jacob, him, and her brothers. Her face glistened with the shedding her of her tears.

As Jake was fastly approaching the area, he could hear Leah's cries clearly now. He was still a little distance away, but the fact that he could hear her so clearly, meant he would get there soon. If only he could pinpoint the exact location, it would be easier. The forest was huge and he had only her scent to go on alone. It could come from anywhere. 'Focus Jake.' He told himself and he paused for a second to concentrate. He closed his eyes. When phased, his senses were a lot sharper. Being an alpha made them stronger as well.

Sam was in his own little world. Leah's pleas did nothing to him. He continued inhaling her scent and then leaned back to look at her. She was sprawled out before him. Every time she tried to close her legs, he prevented her from doing so by trapping a leg between hers. Seeing Leah shaking and quivering like that, made his wolf howl. It could feel the fear radiating off of her. "I love to see you like this. You look so sexy on your back. I now have a mental picture of you in my head." He then came forward and slid his body very slowly up hers like he was a snake.

"Please! Don't!" Leah cried out again.

Jake opened his eyes once he heard her voice and he took off running so fast in the direction it came from. From where he stood, she was not too far. 'Baby, I'm coming!'

Shakily, Leah grasped Sam's cheeks. "Look at me."

Sam did what she requested and looked at her. Her pretty blue eyes were bright because of her tears. "You have such pretty eyes." His eyes, however, were black, blacker than ever before. They were not the chocolate brown she loved anymore.

"I thought you loved me." Leah whispered as one finger tentatively stroked under his right eye. "I wish you could see yourself." Something in her told her to bide some time. Her blood started to boil, but not in anger. She got the feeling that Jake was coming. She just need a little more time. She was going to try and wake her old lover, who would always have a place in her heart, up. She did not have it in her to fight him off anymore.

Sam looked at her in intensely. "I do…That's why I am doing this. I'm doing this for us. I want us to be together. If I could have found a way to break the imprint, I would. But I can't. I'm not like Jacob. I do love you Leah and I want you to be happy, but it has to be with me. I can't let Jacob have you." His eyes blazed. "Never!" He kissed her and his hands started to roam all over her body roughly.

Leah broke the kiss, turning her head to the side. "Sam…You're only feeling like this because it's mating season. You've got to think clearly!" Being kissed by him brought up memories. Him on top of her, she thought would be some of the best memories of her life…Until Jake replaced them. "Please…Sam…We can't be together. You _know_ that." Those were the same words he'd said to her when they broke up.

"Yes!" Sam shouted in defiance and his wolf growled. "I have always loved you. Even though I've imprinted, I have loved you. We can be together; I will make you my second wife. We'll make lots of babies like we planned." He then growled viciously and turned her face back to his roughly. He positioned his cock right at her entrance.

Leah's neck was tingling and aching from the turn. She was sobbing at his words. He was not going to snap out of it. He was going to actually rape her and make it so that no other man would want her. She would be his and his alone, but not his only. She whispered softly for her own benefit. "I love you Jacob."

Hearing Leah say that only pissed Sam off even more and he growled loudly. He pulled back and got ready to thrust into her.

**AN: Another chapter done! Whew! SMH…this was challenging to write. I know it's a little short, but I hope it came out good for you. My mind went into a lot of different directions and wanted to change so many things. However, I came out with this. So what did you think? Will Sam claim Leah? Will he snap out of it? Will Jake get there on time to save Leah? Review and tell me what you think. I love hearing your thoughts. **


	24. Chapter 24

'**Thoughts'**

'**Communication when phased'**

Just as Sam was about to thrust into Leah, he suddenly found himself on the ground, staring up into an angry furry face with teeth bared and ready to bite his head off.

Leah sat up with a gasp. "Jake!"

But he was too busy with Sam. Jake was pissed and his growl was fierce and loud. He began to snap and nip at Sam's hands and then aimed for his shoulders. He then phased out and he wrapped both hands around Sam's neck. He was tempted to squeeze the life out of him, but he loosened his grip a little. "Sam what the fuck are you doing? Didn't I tell you what would happen if you touched my girl?"

Sam's eyes were pure black now and he was furious at being interrupted with Leah. He growled at Jake and snapped at him. "Fuck you Jacob! You have no claim to her so that means she's free. Besides, I love her; she was mine first!" Jake was not the only one that was strong. Sam used both of his hands to shove Jacob off of him and he held him and slammed him onto the ground, knocking the breath out of him.

Jake gasped, looking for air to fill his lungs. His back was hurting like hell. He recovered as quickly as he could and kicked Sam off of him hard. He then got up and tackled Sam onto the ground, putting his body on top of him. He threw punch after punch to his face and he heard a bone break in his nose, but that did not faze him. "You asshole! The minute I leave Leah alone, you attack her? What the fuck is wrong with you? I am so going to leave you in a fucking bloody mess!"

Sam was in pain, but he fought back. He grabbed some dirt from the ground and threw it in Jake's face. It was his turn to jump on top of Jake and started punching him. "How dare you disturb me from fulfilling my wish and making Leah mine? You are going to pay you son of a bitch! She's not yours!"

Jake lifted a hand and punched Sam hard in the stomach. When he doubled over, Jake got up and kicked at him. He was stomping his foot all over his body. "She _is_ mine you stupid ass! She's my fucking girlfriend and _not_ yours to claim. She was _never_ yours to claim you arrogant piece of shit!"

"Stop it!" Leah screamed as she got up and rushed over to the two men, trying to get in between them. She could not believe her eyes. Her past colliding with her present and future was a disaster and she was afraid of the worst. She knew something bad was going to happen and she needed to put a stop to it.

When Leah came over to them, Jake immediately stopped his assault and turned to her. He gently, but quickly took a hold of her and threw her out of harm's way. As soon as she was far enough, he turned to Sam again. Sam was on his feet, his face a bloody mess. His left eye was black and blue and swollen. His nose was bleeding furiously and he was holding the left side of his stomach. Jake was also a mess; his lip was busted and bleeding and his right cheek was swollen too. A hand went to his eyes and rubbed furiously at them. The effects of the dirt were irritating his eyes.

Leah got up again and just stared at the sight before her. "Stop it please!"

Jake and Sam were in their own little world. All of a sudden, the sounds of their growls filled the forest.

Leah's body went rigid; she was so scared. What could she do? They were not listening to her. She never thought this would happen. She did not want one to kill the other, no matter how bad the situation was. At the end of the day, they were still brothers. The next moment, they charged at each other. It seemed like they were focused on beating the hell out of each other. She was hoping they stayed in human form. If they didn't, then the danger would go up a whole other level.

"I am going to fulfill what I said I would do if one you guys touched my girl. Don't be surprised when your fucking hands get broken you son of a bitch! If you had gotten through with claiming Leah, someone from the tribe would've found your rotten body somewhere in this fucking forest!" Jake announced with a growl. His eyes were glowing a bright brown; the wolf inside was snarling viciously at wanting to punish the other alpha.

Sam laughed. "Really? I think that would have been the other way around. Leah is not your girl. If she was, why didn't you claim her when you had the chance huh? You're such a fucking coward! You had many opportunities to do so and you blew it. I saw _my_ chance and I took it. You know what they say 'You snooze, you lose' and you have." His eyes were still black and he was growling as well.

Leah went and stood in the middle of them again, stopping them in their places with her arms outstretched. One arm was in each of their direction with her palms facing them. "Stop it! Don't do this! You're brothers! You're not supposed to kill each other!" She knew she was taking a risk by being in the middle, but she could not just stand by and let them do this. This was stupid on so many levels. She was not some prize to be won in a contest. She looked back and forth between the both of them and she knew they heard nothing from her. She was not sure if they even acknowledged her presence.

"Leah…Get out of the way." Jake spoke calmly with a growl. He refused to let her get hurt. He was going to make Sam pay for what he did.

"No! You two are not going to kill each other! This is ridiculous! Come on…You two are better than this. Let's just all calm down, go home, and talk about this." Leah pleaded as she looked back and forth between them.

Sam laughed maniacally. "You better listen to Jacob, Leah. You will get hurt if you don't move out of the way. There's no way in hell I am going to your house to _talk_. Only two of us are leaving here and that's me and you and we're going to _my_ house." He announced with a loud growl. He was in pain, but refused to show it. His healing was moving slowly.

"Like hell she is! Leah isn't going anywhere with you! She's coming home with me! She's _my_ girlfriend, _my_ love, and _my_ mate! She will be claimed and marked when the time comes. _You_ need not to worry about that and note to self: you will _never_ get her back!" Jake exclaimed.

"So be it." Without warning, Sam charged forward to Jake.

Jake's eyes opened wide when he realized what Sam was doing. "Leah!" He charged forward as well and knocked her out of the way and Sam used that to his advantage and immediately attacked him. He knew Jake would've done that so he deliberately charged forward.

"Sam no!" Leah cried out while she was shoved out of the way.

Sam punched him in the face, kicked him in the stomach, jumped back, and then phased. Jake jumped up and phased as well and the fight was on. They were snapping, nipping, and biting at each other while Leah looked on in horror. 'Oh no! This was what Billy was talking about. This could only mean one thing. They are going to fight to the death. I cannot let them do this.' She started to go toward them but Jake turned his head to her and growled at her in warning to stay back. She froze in her place, not wanting to anger him any further.

The battle continued. Sam bit down on Jake's shoulder and he cried out with a yelp. Jake kicked him off and then jumped on and latched onto his neck. He thrashes Sam side to side as he was growling and yelping loudly.

'Submit Sam!' Jake commanded as he continued to shake him.

'Never!' Sam replied as he took a paw and slashed the left side of Jake's face.

Jake cried out and let Sam go. There are five long scratches that were bleeding. 'You asshole! I see we're going to have to do this the hard way!'

Sam's only answer was a growl and he charged again. Jake was ready this time though and he growled as loud as he could. His eyes glowed brightly and he charged at Sam, tackling to him to the ground. He latched onto his neck again and slammed him onto the forest floor _hard_. Sam let out a loud shriek of pain as his back hit the dirt. The impact shook the ground like a tremor was passing through. Sam's back was on fire. Jake did not let go of Sam's neck; he clamped down harder, very close to crushing his windpipe. Blood rushed out of the wound covering the dirt under Sam.

Leah looked on in horror as she screamed. "Jake! Don't! You'll kill him!" She rushed over to him. She knew she was taking a chance, but she did not care at the moment. She knew if Jake killed Sam, he would never live it down. She gripped his coat with both hands. "Jake…Let go! Please!"

Jake ignored her and clamped down harder and Sam yelped again.

Leah used her wolf's strength and gripped Jake's coat harder. "Jake! Let! Go!"

Jake hardly heard her, but Leah always had an effect on him so he let go slowly, but surely and Sam phased out, writhing on the ground in pain. Jake phased out as well and he immediately went over to Sam, picked him up and shoved him against a tree by holding him up by his neck. Sam was struggling and gasping for air. He tried to kick Jake, but to no avail.

Jake's eyes were glowing brighter than before; his face was unrecognizable. "I warned you about what would happen if you touched my girl, but you did not listen." He put his face directly in front of Sam's. "Because of your stupidity and selfishness, you are going to pay. Now you are going to lose both of your hands for a long time you ignorant, ruthless, sick, son of a bitch!" He took his right hand first and broke the wrist. Sam screamed out in pain. Jake then proceeded to break each finger, joint by joint. It was pure torture and Sam's screams echoed throughout the forest. What was scary was that Jake felt no remorse and did not even flinch from Sam's screams. After he was done with his right hand, he did the same thing with the left. The wolf in Jake was determined to punish the one who threatened his mate.

Leah's eyes widened like saucers at Jake's ferocity. She knew Jacob was mad, but she knew the two were still brothers. She refused to let Jacob feel guilty afterward. Leah ran over to him and wrapped both her arms around Jake's waist. "Jake Please! It's okay! I'm safe! Please Jake! I'm right here and I'm fine!" She said intensely into his back, hoping she got through to him.

Jake finally let go of Sam and he slid to the ground in pain. His face and neck was bloody and his arms were limp at his sides. He was screaming in anguish. "Don't you _ever_ lay a finger on Leah again or else you _will_ suffer much, much worse."

Sam could only scream from the pain radiating in his body.

Leah turned Jake around and hugged him to her. Her wolf was picking up on the rage and the distress he was in and Leah knew now that he too needed to be comforted. One hand ran up and down his back soothingly, calming his heavy breathing and the angry shakes he still emitted.

Jake wrapped his hands around her. His whole body was trembling and convulsing with anger. His wolf was still growling, but not as viciously as before. He arched into Leah's hand some more and he was calming down slowly, minute by minute. His eyes were still glowing with their normal, caramel brown color.

Soon Leah's hands rose to his cheeks and she tugged his forehead down to hers. His right cheek was still swollen and his lip busted, and there were five long scratches on his left cheek. They were deep, but not deep enough to be very serious. Because they were from another wolf, the wounds were taking much longer to heal. However, she knew he would be okay. "Look at me…I'm okay Jake. I'm fine and you're okay." She gave him a weak, reassuring smile. "You saved me again."

Jake's mind was a little blank, but once he looked into those pretty baby blues of hers, his rage deflated and was replaced with love…Love for his one and only. He lifted his hands, cupped her cheeks, and started to stroke them. "You're alright."

Leah smiled weakly again. "Yes…I am." Her heart was hammering from just having his hands on her again. She could not wait. She gulped, then leaned forward and kissed him hard and passionate, putting as much love as she could show for him at the moment into that kiss.

Jake kissed her back just as hard. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed himself against her. His wolf was purring at the close contact of their bodies. He missed this, having her so close to him. All of a sudden, he lifted her up into his arms and ran with her to the meadow. He was going to take, claim, and mark her right now.

Leah clung to him tightly the entire way. "Jake, I'm sorry!"

Jake grunted at her, not wanting to talk at the moment. All he could think about was what almost happened to her earlier. Not to mention her scent was driving him and his wolf crazy. He wanted to plow into her like there was no tomorrow. "No talking…We'll talk later." He said as they got to the meadow. He set her down on her feet, then kissed her long and hard while his hands roamed all over her. His touches were tender and oh so loving.

Leah kissed him back but pulled away, remembering something. "Jake, we don't have a condom baby." Nevertheless, she wrapped an arm around his neck and kissed at his jaw and throat.

Jake's answer was a growl; he could care less about a condom now. His wolf was screaming at him to take her. He kissed her again and his hands resumed their traveling. He leaned her back to the ground slowly, not losing contact with her lips.

Leah's wolf thought a condom was really not necessary. She _was ready_ to be a mother. Besides…today brought too much danger and it was time to settle down with her rightful mate; time to begin anew. As soon as his hands roamed over her flesh, a small moan escaped her lips and the condom was forgotten. Her hands raked down his back, over his ass, the back of his thighs and back up again into his soft hair. It was time.

The wolf in Jake was howling and purring at Leah. It could feel the wolf inside her and it loved the connection that was building. He loved her hands all over him as well. He then pulled his head away and put it between her head and shoulder and inhaled her sweet scent. That was one of his favorite places on her body.

Leah smiled, kissing at his ear. Her wolf was also purring, but whimpering in happiness at the contact.

Jake planted butterfly kisses all over her body. He sucked and nibbled on a breast, while palming and kneading the other. Her nipples were erect and hard as pebbles.

Leah felt now more than ever, she was ready for him. She was going to be compliant, obedient, and loving once he claimed her. She was going to be completely and utterly his. Her breathing was growing more labored as Jake played with her breasts. Her eyes slowly glazed over with lust for him. One of her small hands slid down his chest and stroked the fine hairs just above his cock.

Jake started to have light tremors at her touch. He loved the feel of her hands so close to his cock. He could not wait until it fully rested on it. He moved a hand of his down her body too and rested it on her pussy and started to rub it when her heard her moan.

Leah moaned again, but louder as she breathed out his name. She could not wait any longer to touch him. Her warm hand wrapped around him, massaging him with intimate strokes that moved from the base to the tip every time.

Jake growled at the feelings of pleasure her hand brought to him. His hand rubbed her pussy harder and he felt how wet she was. Her sweet aroma encompassed him and his senses almost went on overload. His brain was on overdrive right now. He slid a finger inside her and allowed another to play with her clit, tugging and tweaking it.

Leah's back arched off the ground as he fingered her, pink lips morphing into a gorgeous 'O.' She jacked him faster, needing to feel him even harder in her hand as if that was possible. Her heart was hammering in her chest, brain gone haywire as she could not believe he came back to her. She could not believe he still loved her. She would never make another mistake again, if she got to keep him.

Jake started to move into her hand as he growled and a small groan slipped past his lips. He felt he was close to exploding so he took his free hand and stopped her. He took the same hand she was using on him and placed it on the hand that was on her pussy. He inserted a finger of hers inside her and together their fingers did wonders to her body. Their fingers moved like a scissors, opening and closing at the same time. They were in sync with each other.

Leah was writhing underneath him and she was panting and moaning loudly. She was moaning so loud, that birds flew out of the trees. "Jake…Fuck!" She gnawed on her bottom lip. "Please…I want you." The orgasm was slowly building inside her, but she did not want to cum this way. The time had finally arrived and she wanted him inside…Now.

Jake grunted at her and then looked deep into her eyes. His eyes were still bright and glowing, indicating his wolf was out. The alpha in him loved seeing her like that…Underneath him, begging for him. His voice was deep when he spoke for the first time since being the meadow. "Cum for me with our fingers, Leah. You _will_ cum again soon with my cock. Cum for me…Right now!"

Leah groaned loudly as her head moved backward slowly, beautiful mewling noises came from her throat. Her wolf urged her on to please her master, her mate and Leah came with his words. Her back arched up some more, hip bucking as she breathes out some swears.

After Leah caught her breath, Jake flipped her over on her hands and knees. His long, thick, and huge nine and a half inch cock was pressed against the insides of her ass. He pulled her up to him and palmed both breasts with both hands then tugged the nipples. He felt the nipples getting hard again and her arousal filled his nostrils.

Leah's head rested back against his hot, hard shoulder, her breathing heavy with anticipation. She arched into his hands, loving the feel of them on her breasts. "Jacob!" She was breathless. "Love you…Don't ever forget."

Jake only grunted in reply, the wolf too focused on his task. He caressed her breasts and this time, he pinched each nipple, sending a river of pleasure mixed with pain over her body. With every pinch, he felt Leah jerk wildly in his arms. He then spoke by whispering in her ear. "I am going to fuck you now. Do you want me?"

Leah nodded her head slowly. "So much!"

Jake pushed her forward and she was on her hands and knees again. He took his cock and slapped each ass cheek with it. "How badly do you want this?" He growled out with his deep voice and his eyes glowed even more giving the evening sun a challenge. The wolf was growling, yet purring at the same time. His female needed to show him how much she wanted him; she needed to prove it.

"As much as I love you is as bad as I want it. And it's bad Jake." Leah's voice was soft and honest.

Although it was simple, Jake was satisfied with her answer. That did not necessarily mean he was going to give it to her right then and there. He placed his cock right between her outer lips and started to rub it against her, teasing her. He placed his two hands on each side of her hips. He was rubbing her tantalizingly slow.

Leah moaned and whined at the feeling of knowing he was right there, but not quite. "Please Jacob…I thought I'd never be yours just an hour ago. Please…Make me yours." She was pleading and begging with everything she had within her. She would never hurt him again and she knew he was it for her. He was her one and only from this day forth. She hurt him badly before and he still came back and that told her so much. She would never take him for granted again; she would never make everything about her. This was about her _and_ him, now and forever. She pushed back onto him, showing him how much she needed him.

Jake was growled, the alpha in him was pleased with her begging and her pleas. He gripped her hips firmly and with one hard thrust, he slammed into her and began pounding into her. His wolf was elated at finally being inside her and he was going to make this worth their lives. He was growling, snarling, and grunting.

Leah let out a scream at his entry, with Jacob being bigger and thicker than Sam and Kyle, it was a stretch she's never felt before and she loved the slow burn of her tearing flesh. She loved his rhythm and immediately knew below him, with him was where she belonged. Her wolf whimpered and howled, finally sated. Her cramps slowly dissipated.

Jake was pounding into her relentlessly from behind. Her knees were scraping the dirt with every thrust. Her hands were desperately trying to find some sort of leverage or support on the ground. While thrusting into her, he leaned forward and grabbed a breast with one hand and the other moved down to her pussy and massaged her clit.

Leah's screams and curses were never-ending; she's never felt this kind of pleasure before. Only Jacob and her hips moved backward to meet him when he touched her clit. So many sensations at once were literally driving her insane. "Jake! Fuck! Oh God!"

The wolf in Jake was urging him to claim and mark her _now_. His voice was so deep when he spoke, making Leah's eyes widen in surprise. Her wolf immediately recognized that voice. It was the voice of the alpha and it sent shivers down her spine. "_Who do you belong to Leah? What is my name? What am I to you? Answer me!_" He growled out the last sentence.

"Jacob Black!" Leah did not hesitate this time and she gave him everything he wanted. "My lover, my everything!" She moaned loudly.

Jake pulled her forward to him again and placed his head between her head and shoulder. He inhaled, nuzzled, and licked her neck. Her pulse point was moving erratically. 'Do it. Mark her.' The wolf in him urged. He placed his teeth exactly over the pulse point and kissed it. The next second, he latched onto it and penetrated the skin. Blood oozed out of her neck and he stayed there while he pounded into her. He pounded into her more roughly and his grip on her tightened even more.

Leah screamed his name at the bite, blood trickling down her throat and neck and the valley between her breasts as he continued ramming himself into her. She loved the pain and pleasure contrast, loved the way her wolf let out an immediate whimper. Leah could almost visualize the white creature lying down before Jacob's red wolf in an act of submission. She was his and her blood tasted sweet…Like food…Like fucking candy to him. Her body was writhing against his. It was frigging magic.

Jake kept going and he was getting close. His hand stroked her clit harder and tugged it over and over. His wolf was snarling and growling while marking her neck. While the bottom half of their bodies were moving, so were their heads. His head was moving and his teeth and tongue were raking the puncture. Her submission pushed him over the edge and his brain was fuzzy with pleasure. He could not think…could not concentrate. He could only feel; all he could feel was Leah.

Leah was so close and she was about to lose it too. Her sanity was waning. Her hand suddenly clenched his thigh so hard; her fingernails broke the skin as she let loose the loudest scream yet. It was almost a howl that stated a clear message to anyone in earshot. She was Jacob Black's. Her thighs quivered, her body convulsed and Leah fell to pieces. The only thing that was keeping her on her knees was her hand on his thigh.

Jake's balls constricted tightly and with the hardest thrust he could muster, he came right along with her and he grunted loudly since he was still attached to her neck. His hot, liquid milk shot into her and his body convulsed like he was having a seizure and he then he sagged against her as she fell flat on the ground. He lifted his head from her neck and licked the blood around it to sooth it. That mark was the power of the alpha. The mark would heal, but the scar would _always_ be there. A crescent moon-shaped scar that signified she was taken. He felt refreshed and brand new; he could feel a difference in his body. He and his wolf were one now. He moved his head to her left ear and whispered roughly in his alpha voice. His caramel colored eyes turned a pure midnight black indicating the true alpha was here and here to _stay_. "_You're mine…Always and forever. I love you…You're my everything._"

What happened next was strange. He seemed to hear Leah whisper the words back in her sated, whisper-like voice, but the scene in front of him faded away. Through his eyes, like he was looking at a video, Jacob saw himself walking up to Leah and kissing her passionately. A hand was placed on her tiny-could it be? A tiny, pregnant belly? Then he saw himself and Leah lying in bed, cuddling and kissing and her neck bore a beautiful scar to him. He just knew she was heavy with his child. The last scene Jacob envisioned was Leah in what looked like a hospital bed, holding a baby in a light blue blanket and Jake looked so, so happy. Then he was back in the meadow with Leah like the vision never happened.

**AN: Wow! What a chapter! Even I got goosebumps while writing it. Lol! So…What did you guys think about fight? I personally don't believe that just because Jake is the true alpha and Ephraim Black's grandson that he should have won the fight so easily. Sam phased first and had way more experience you know what I mean? He was also an alpha as well. He had to at least get in some hits before he lost. I hope it wasn't too long or too short. I wanted it to be just right. Jake FINALLY marked and claimed Leah. Did you like the surprise at the end? Review, review, review please. I would love to hear your thoughts. **


	25. Chapter 25

'**Thoughts'**

'Could it be? Could that be a premonition of our future? How? Was it the mark I put on her neck that caused this?' Jake shrugged it off for now. He rolled off of Leah and moved to her side. He was still panting and breathing hard. He turned to look at her.

Leah looked more beautiful then he thought he'd ever seen her before. Her lips were swollen and ravaged, her neck an angry, bloody red, hair tangled and tossed beautifully, and her eyes were half-lidded, looking back at him with the most loving, adoring look he had ever seen. Not even at Sam, only him; all for him. With scraped knees and glowing skin, Leah Clearwater was his.

Jake pressed a hand to her cheek. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you too bad?"

Leah just smiled at him, brought herself closer, and pressed her lips to his. He guessed that was a 'No.'

Jake kissed her back, then pulled away to look at her. He was taking in her appearance and could not help but to think he was a little too rough. He looked at the wound on her neck. It was fresh, but the blood stopped flowing. "I'm sorry I lost control like that, Lee. You were just so beautiful and scrumptious. Besides…I had to do it." He focused on the wound on her neck. "Does it hurt?"

"That was the…That was the _best_ sex I've ever had in my life." Leah put a hand over the mark. "Yeah…But I kinda like it." She nipped at his bottom lip.

"Oh." Jake paused. It made no sense to procrastinate any further. "I was coming back to find you, Lee. I missed you so damn much. Although you pushed me away, I still thought we had a chance. If you didn't want me, then I would've had to find a way to just deal." He looked away.

Leah grabbed his head and turned it back to face her. "No…I want you more than anything I've ever wanted in my entire life, Jacob. If you left, I wouldn't make it…I couldn't. Please…Don't leave me. I'm sorry…So sorry for hurting you and for saying the things I said. I should've never made it seem like everything was about me and I was the only one who suffered. You've been through hell too and I had no right to make you feel small or less important. I love you…Please stay." She poured out her heart to him because he did the same to her. It was her turn to show him how much he meant to her.

Jake looked at her intensely, processing her words. "Do you? You love me? Are you going to fight for me? Are you going to put in one hundred percent like I am?" He just had to be sure. If he got hurt again, he was not going to recover.

Leah shook her head up and down quickly. "I will…I promise…I swear."

"Do you want to know why I took so long to claim you? I had to be sure that this…" Jake gestured to the both of them. "Was what you wanted. I had to be sure you accepted me fully with no regrets, no complaints. I love you, but was not sure of how you felt even though you said you love me. Your actions spoke otherwise and the fight was an eye-opener for me. I did not want to put my all into this only to get half of it back. I made a promise to myself that I was never going to do that again. When I was on the way home and saw Sam on you like that, I snapped and realized I could've lost you for good and that was unacceptable for me." His eyes flashed between his midnight black and caramel brown at the memory. Even his speech changed a little. This was a different Jacob, a powerful, yet wise Jacob. He was in complete control and Leah could only gaze at him in amazement.

Leah herself felt as little different, whether it was from the claiming or the sex, or the dissipation of her cramps or whatever it was, she felt whole. For the first time in years, Leah felt _whole_. "Jacob…I…" Her eyes flashed as her wolf recognized her alpha. Her eyes were icy blue for one second, then turned back to baby blue. "You're right. While I was laying there on the ground with Sam on top of me, all I could think about was you. I realized that you were the _one_ for me and I should've never pushed you away. Even before that, I was coming to look for you. I…I can't live without you, Jake. While you were gone, I was miserable and with a little tongue-lashing and encouragement from my brother, I had to find you." Her hand on his head tightened a little. "I love you…You mean everything to me."

Jake's eyes lit up and he couldn't be happier. 'She was coming to look for me. For once someone was coming after me.' He thought and he beamed. "I love you so much." He leaned forward and kissed her long and hard. He pulled away leaving only an inch between them. He growled, the alpha in him making an appearance, his eyes turned as black as midnight, and his voice deepened. "_I'm going to fuck you like this forever…For the rest of our lives. You're mine! Do you understand me_?" Jake was in total control and loved that he could switch to his alpha persona anytime he wanted to; he felt wonderful.

Leah whimpered and purred at her alpha. That voice sent shivers down her spine and the wolf in her quivered. Her eyes turned icy blue bringing her wolf's persona to the surface. Whenever her alpha addressed her, her wolf would come out. It was only as natural as breathing air. "_Yes my alpha…I understand. I am yours as much as you are mine._" For one thing, the alpha female was territorial as well.

"_Good._" Jake rubbed their faces together lightly, then licked her neck.

Leah arched her neck in submission, letting her alpha do as he pleased.

When the alpha was done, his eyes turned back to normal and so did Leah's. Jake smiled and he gave her that grin…The grin that could charm the panties off of _any_ female, whether they were old or young. He grabbed a hand and pulled her up. "Let's go home."

Leah winced as he pulled her up. "Maybe we should stay; I don't want to walk."

Jake grinned at her again. "You mean you _can't_ walk."

"Fuck you." Leah said.

"I just did and you loved it." Jake replied as he winked at her.

"I did, but can we put jokes aside please?" Leah asked.

"Okay." Jake turned serious. "I'm sorry for hurting you baby. At least I proved you right when I said you won't be able to walk after I take you. You did not believe me and now you have yourself as your own exhibit." He winked again. "I just had to get that last one in there."

Leah rolled her eyes with a small chuckle and a smirk that stayed in her lips as she walked forward. There was an adorable waddle in her hips and legs.

"Would you like me to carry you baby?"

"Oh really? You're offering? You don't want to watch me walk home all sore just so you can have your gratification?'

"Hm…Now that you mention it…Be my guess…Knock yourself out." Jake said as he walked ahead of her. He was a lot more confident and bold. The Jacob before would've never said and did that.

Leah's eyes widened in surprised. She was totally not expecting that. "Jake!" She whined. "Carry me."

Jake stopped and turned to look at her playfully. "Bridal style or piggy back?"

"Well that depends…Want me to kiss your neck while you walk?"

"Hm…If you do that, you won't be able to even stand up after I'm done with you. You know what I mean." Jake announced.

Leah grinned. "Then let's definitely go with that option of Bridal style."

Jake could only laugh at her. It seemed like Leah just loved to torment him and he loved it. The alpha in him growled. He picked her up Bridal style and they started on the way home.

Leah was kissing at his neck the whole way and they reached home a few hours later after a whole lot of walking and maybe something similar to a quickie on the way. As soon as Leah and Jake walked in, the eyes of the guys looked up at them and turned to immediate shock, excitement, and disbelief. The guys decided to come back home after they were done with the mall. They were too worried about Jake and Leah, not to mention Paul and Jared have not heard from Sam for a while either.

Jared was the first to speak. "Would you look at that!"

Paul whistled. "What the heck happened to you guys?"

"I'm speechless." Embry said as his eyes widened even further.

"It's about damn time." Quil said as he eyed them from head to toe. He zoomed in on the scar on Leah's neck. "Is that what I think it is?"

Seth followed Quil's gaze, saw the scar and he grinned. He then went upstairs to get them some clothes. The others saw the mark too and they also looked at Jake. His cheek was still a little swollen and the five scratches on his face were still visible as well. The wound on his lip was closed up and healed.

Leah looked up at Jake, who had his famous grin on the go.

"It's about _damn_ time." Quil reiterated.

Seth came back downstairs with clean clothes and threw it at them. He had nothing to say really. He was just glad they found each other.

"Thanks Seth." Jake said as he put on a white vest and boxer shorts.

Leah ruffled her brother's hair with a smirk then put on a tank top and pajama shorts.

Jake and Leah went over to the sofa and sat down. They stared at each other like they were having a silent conversation. Jake nodded at Leah, telling her to go ahead and tell them what happened.

"Someone needs to go see if Sam's alright." Leah announced.

Jared and Paul's eyes nearly bulged out of their heads.

"That explains Jake's face." Quil realized.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Embry was curious.

"Sam found me in the woods while I was looking for Jake." Leah said. She then proceeded to tell them what happened. After she was done, the guys were all quiet and Jake just sat there seething. Every time he thought about the earlier events in the day, he growled and his eyes flickered.

"Yep…Sam still loves me."

"I'm not surprised." Jared mumbled.

"What's the diagnosis?" Paul asked curiously and in concern.

"Jake beat him up pretty bad." Leah answered.

"It seems to me you did not leave the fight unscathed though." Seth observed.

"Yeah he got me real good a few times." Jake admitted as he spoke for the first time since he sat on the couch.

"How bad?" Paul wanted to know.

Leah sighed. "Bad enough. I should get changed and go find him." She stood up and headed in the direction of the stairs. "Deliver him back to my bitch of a cousin."

Jake growled, his eyes flashing. "Like hell you are! I don't want you anywhere near him…Yet." His statement stopped her and she knew she could not disobey him. It was not an alpha command, but the female just knew when to listen to her alpha.

Leah turned around from her spot, walked back to the living room, and snuggled back into Jake's side. It was quite a shock to see her so…So…Leah _listened_. The guys looked at her aghast.

Quil recovered first and turned to Paul and Jared. "You two are the closest to Sam than the rest of us so why don't you go look for him?"

Jared and Paul nodded. "Yeah…Okay."

"We'll straighten him out okay?" Paul reassured as he looked at Leah.

Leah gave him a soft smile, then he and Jared headed out to look for their alpha.

Seth smiled brightly at his sister and Jake. They looked so happy and he couldn't be any more proud. He looked around the room at the others then back to Leah and Jake. "You guys hungry?"

Jake's face relaxed. "Yeah…I'm starving."

Quil and Embry nodded their heads.

"I'll make something." Leah said as she started to get up, but Seth pushed her back down.

"I got it sis. I can cook too you know. Since it's dinner time, then that means some good entrées are in order. How does chicken parmesan with spaghetti and a side Caesar salad sound?" Seth asked in excitement.

"Sounds great bro." Leah beamed. She knew her brother could cook, but this was going to be interesting. He only cooked simple meals; she was in for a surprise tonight.

"Good…you don't look like you have the energy to cook anyway." Seth said with a twinkle in his eyes as he walked over to the kitchen.

The others laughed, while Leah opened and closed her mouth like a fish. Any other time, Seth would've been disgusted, but he's just too happy that things worked out for his sister and Jake to even care.

Meanwhile, Jared and Paul were out looking for Sam. It was dark out and if it wasn't for their wolf senses they would not have been able to see a thing.

Paul shook his head. "I can't believe he'd go that far."

"Neither can I. I hate to say it, but if that was somebody I cared about as much as Jake cared about Leah, I'd hurt him too. Hell…I'd fuck him up so bad, he won't move for months." Jared declared.

"If it was me, he'd just never move again." Paul said.

"Well from the looks of Jake, it was a good fight. Jake's cheek is swollen and he has like five scratches on his other one. Sam got in some punches but he still lost." Jared said as they continued walking ahead. "Sam!" He called out. "Where are you?"

Sam was sitting down, leaning against the same tree that Jake and Leah left him. He was so ashamed about what he did. He was hurt mentally, emotionally, and physically. He did not know how he was going to face his pack and the others.

Ten minutes later, they found him. "Sam…Damn!" Paul shook his head.

"I'm fine; I'll heal in a few days." Sam's voice was weak and small. "Can you please help me stand?"

Jared and Paul exchanged looks. They wanted to make him get up on his own, but he was still their friend. They bent and pulled Sam up by his forearms.

"Thanks guys. I'll have to reset my bones so they could heal properly." While Sam was speaking, his head was down the whole time. He could not bear to look at them. He was so ashamed. "I'm sorry guys."

"It's not us you should be apologizing to." Jared reminded.

"What were you thinking Sam? You wouldn't have left Emily. You'd _never_ leave Emily so…What…You were going to fuck Leah, knock her up and leave her to rear up your kids alone?" Paul went off on him. He was the hardest on Leah before, but he would never wish what happened to her to anyone. Plus he looked up to Sam; he should've known better.

"I know I have to apologize to Jacob and Leah, but I know you guys deserved one too. I know how close we are to each other and I've let you down. I did not really know what I was thinking…Her scent was just so…Alluring and it was calling me. My wolf started to act up; I'm an alpha too guys so don't think this was something I could've just got over." Sam said as he finally looked up at them. He truly did feel sorry for what he did. Leah was his first love, and he never thought he would hurt her like that. Hell…He still loved her.

Jared sighed. "We know…So you really do want Leah back?"

Sam looked away and stayed silent for a moment. "I'd give anything to get Leah back, but…" He trailed off. "While I was sitting here, I was thinking. I realized I could not do that to her. She would've been miserable and I have already put her through so much. I wish I knew how to break the imprint…I wish I could. I guess it was meant for Jacob alone to break his. He is the true alpha after all. Being an alpha myself, is not a walk in the park. I had to repress all of these feelings for a long time. While you guys were fawning all over her and stuff, I had to fight the alpha urges to keep myself calm. You guys have _no_ idea the torture I've been through the past couple of days." His head was still turned away from then and he had a far away look on his face.

Paul sighed and patted his shoulder. "Let's just get you home. I think it might be safer for you to go back to Emily's. Jake's still pissed as all hell man."

"I know…I'll give him time to calm down before I approach them. How is her scent now? I'm sure Jacob claimed her didn't he?" Sam asked as he finally turned his head back to them. '

Paul and Jared looked at him sadly and nodded.

"How'd he do it?" Sam asked.

"Her neck's pretty torn up and her smell is still bad, but it's like discouraging now, know what I mean? Since Jake claimed her." Jared explained.

"Oh…Well I'll be staying away until the mating season ends. I don't want to be near her because I'll get the urge to challenge him for her and I don't want to."

"Well there's only three more days." Jared informed.

"I will stay away until the three days are up." Sam declared.

Paul and Jared nodded.

"Probably the best thing. Jake will be less likely to kill you then." Jared said as they continued on the path home.

"My hands are killing me." Sam announced.

Paul and Jared looked at them and flinched. "Well he did _warn_ you."

"I know but it's that damn scent and the alpha male in me." Sam reminded.

"So it had nothing to do with the fact that it was just _Leah_?" Jared asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well yeah…That too. I guess the love I have for her was what increased my aggressiveness. Not to mention her scent."

"We know that part…Trust me." Paul whistled in remembrance when he grabbed Leah's butt.

"I was really frightened and ashamed when I remembered what I tried to do. I remember her pleading with me to stop…" He trailed off again and bowed his head.

"And?" Jared prompted.

"I did something I know I will regret for the rest of my life." Sam announced.

"What?" Jared asked.

Sam looked away again and told them how he slapped Leah and jerked her head around. He told them how rough his hands were. Jared and Paul's eyes widened.

"I don't know how I'm going to face her after this."

"Sam! Shit dude! She never told us that." Paul exclaimed as he exchanged a look with Jared.

"Of course she wouldn't." Sam faced them again. "Even after all that, she's still trying to protect me."

"Not even I would hit Le-…Nevermind. I guess it comes down to circumstance, but yeah." Paul realized.

"No matter what circumstance, it's not right to hit a female…Period." Jared said firmly as he looked at Paul.

"I wanted to dominate her so bad and make her submit. I was only doing what my wolf was telling me to do. I almost had her too; she got tired of fighting and just lied still."

Jared did not really know what to tell him. "Just talk to her…After all this is over. From the real Leah, who we seemed to have met only last month, I think she'll forgive you."

"Jake came just in time. I would've ruined many lives if I was not stopped. She already has…That's why she did not tell you guys I was so physical with her. I doubt she told Jacob."

Paul sighed. "I think you two should like…Try and build a friendship or something. I think it would help the both of you."

"Yes, but that is not going to work so easily. It'll take some time and I am not going to rush anything." Sam smiled weakly. "I am glad you guys heard me out. I was hoping you two won't abandon me for my mistakes."

Paul smirked. "If Leah won't abandon you after all the shit you've managed to put her through over the years, how do you expect us to?"

"I guess you're right. You two are the best and thank you. Now I've got to take care of my hands. Can one of you reset them for me please?"

"I'll do it." Jared held Sam's left hand first. "This'll hurt like a bitch, but does need to be done. Brace yourself."

"Okay." Sam closed his eyes and steeled himself from the oncoming pain.

Jared reset the bones in Sam's fingers first and then the wrist.

Sam screamed in pain and Paul cringed.

"Take two minutes and breathe man." Jared said, wanting to give him a break.

Sam took a couple of deep breaths. "Okay…I'm ready for the next hand."

Jared nodded and did the same thing to the right hand like he did the left.

Sam's screams echoed throughout the forest and Paul and Jared winced.

"Okay Sam…You should be fine in five days." Jared said. "When we get home, I'll wrap them up for you."

Sam smiled weakly. "Thanks man." They continued walking. "I guess Jacob was more lenient than I thought. If it wasn't for Leah, he would've done a lot worse.

They were almost to the house since they could see a light in the distance. When they got there, Jared turned to Sam. "Hold on man…Wait for us okay? Me and Paul are going to run inside and get some dinner then take you back to your place."

"Yeah I'm starved." Paul agreed.

"You really think it's wise to take food from Leah's house and bring it back to the house with Emily there? She already can't stand Leah as it is. It's not all beds and roses with her and I either." Sam declared.

Jared's eyes widened. "What? Emily loves Leah."

Sam sighed in frustration. "Haven't you been listening to a word I said the first time? Remember our first big fight? Well we had countless others and they were all about Leah. I gathered from all our arguments that she's jealous of her…plain and simple." He then told them about Emily's scheme to seduce him when she first came to visit and Paul and Jared were surprised.

"This whole situation is fucked. Leah's a closeted nice girl and Emily's a closeted bitch?" Jared was exasperated.

"If that's how you want to put it, then yes." Sam said.

They finally reached the front of the house. "Just wait here; I'll be right back." Jared nodded to Sam.

"I'll wait here with him." Paul said as he sat on the porch.

Jared disappeared inside the house. He was in there for only two minutes then he came out with wrapped plates of food. He handed one over to Paul and held his and Sam's plates in his hands.

They all proceeded to go down the path to Sam's. When they got there, Jared paused. "Do you want me to go in with you to help explain?" He was always the level-headed one in the group.

"No thank you. I'm not going to tell her anything; she'll just get pissed off and blow everything out of proportion since it's about Leah. For peace sake, I'll just tell her I got attacked by a vamp while out on patrol." Sam said.

Paul nodded. "Okay…If that's what you want. She won't hear anything from me."

"Neither me." Jared informed.

"Thanks for having my back guys. I really appreciate it." Sam smiled weakly.

"No problem man. Good luck with the apparent bitch. Damn…I am so going to look at Leah so differently after this. I don't think I can handle it." Paul said with a smirk.

Sam shook his head. "Whatever…You better be careful about your imprint."

"Rachel? Why?" Paul was curious.

Jared perked up.

"The imprint blinds us to many things. We often look past their flaws and just believe they're perfect, when in reality, they're not." Sam informed. He was very serious. Not only that…Emily hung out with Rachel and Kim all the time. There was no telling what she was filling their heads with.

Jared and Paul exchanged a look and nodded.

"We'll look out for some weird shit, especially since they're talking to Emily a lot." Jared confirmed.

"Okay…Well I'll see you guys in a couple of days." Sam opened the door.

"We'll call and check up on you bro." Paul and Jared patted his shoulder and they left after Sam closed the door behind him.

Five days have passed and the mating season was over. The guys were back to their old selves, but the bond between them grew stronger. Leah took her alpha female status seriously and she was not only Jake's mate, but she was also the caregiver of the packs. She cooked, cleaned, made sure they were patrolling on time and also made them get jobs. It was agreed that they did not want to depend on the Council taking care of them just because they were the protectors of the tribe. Jake told Leah about his vision of her being a mother and she was not surprised since she remembered they did not use protection. The two parents to be were very excited and so were the guys. The only one who did not know was Sam. Sam has not been around since the incident in the forest, but through Paul and Jared, the others knew he was recovering well. His hands were almost fully healed.

It was a great evening when the guys and Leah were gathered after work at the Clearwater home. The kitchen was busy with Seth and Jake doing the cooking. They insisted Leah take a break since she was the one to usually do it. They were just about to eat when the doorbell rang, making all of them pause.

"I'll get it." Leah said as she stood up and went to the door. When she opened the door, Sam was standing there looking sheepish. He was looking at everything except her face.

"I don't know why you rang the doorbell…You never do." Leah wondered aloud.

"Well…" Sam was still not looking at her. "I do have some kind of courtesy…I hope. How are you?"

"I'm fine." Leah looked at his hands and saw they were still wrapped in gauze. "How are the hands feeling?"

"They're coming along great. I have one more day and they'll be fully healed and I can move them the way I want to again." Sam was still not looking at her. "Are you busy?"

"We were just about to eat, but I have a minute." Leah answered.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"I would like to talk to you for a moment alone…If that's okay with you. I will not try anything. I would also like to talk to Jacob too after I'm finish talking to you." Sam proposed.

"Okay, but give me a sec." Leah went inside for a moment, then came back onto the porch closing the door behind her. She sighed as she sat down on one of the chairs.

"Leah…First off I want to apologize for what happened last week. I am so sorry for treating you like that and for almost taking advantage of you. I am not going to make any excuses and I take full responsibility for my actions. I would not blame you if you do not want to speak with me ever again. I am truly ashamed and embarrassed by what I did. I hope one day we could move past it. I humbly ask for your forgiveness." Sam said as he finished speech and bowed his head.

In a move that shocked Sam, Leah got up, went over to him, and put a hand on his cheek. His eyes…They were brown again. There was a look of faint relief on her face. "You're back." She whispered.

Sam looked at her stunned. "What do you mean?"

"Your eyes were so dark…Diluted…they looked black. I think they actually were black." Leah confirmed.

Sam couldn't help but to lean into her touch. He looked deep into her eyes. "I am so sorry Leah. I…" He trailed off. "My wolf was going crazy and I've been trying to control it for so long. I don't know if my behavior was ever noticed, but I was trying to fight it. I was fighting so hard." His eyes watered and he looked away. Thinking about that day always brought him great pain because he hurt the only girl he has ever loved. "That day…" He trailed off again.

Leah nodded once or twice. "I know." Her voice was soft…Understanding. "I've already forgiven you. I know you were not the Sam I knew and loved."

Sam looked back at her. "I am so sorry Leelee." It's been a long time since he called her that. He felt it was a good time to do so. That's how much he was sorry. "Words cannot describe how sorry I am." He sighed. "I also came to a resolution."

"Oh?" Leah raised an eyebrow.

"I need to let you go." As hard as that was to say, he knew he had to. From what he heard from Paul and Jared, Leah was happy…With Jacob and he had to accept it. Hell…He could see the mark on her neck.

Leah thought she would feel sad at those words, but she didn't. She felt…Happy. She felt she and Sam would finally get the kind of closure they deserved. "I won't stop loving you Sam…You were my first love and you will always have a special place in my heart. You never forget your first love."

Sam smiled softly. "I won't stop loving you either. I will always love you and you will always have a special place in my heart as well. I am so glad you're happy and that Jacob gives it to you. You deserve happiness. I hope that as we continue to live our lives that we could become great friends. Is that possible for us?"

Leah sighed and moved away. "As long as she's in your life, I don't think so."

Sam already knew who she was speaking about. "Why not?"

"The type of person you love can sometimes say a lot about you and Emily is…" Leah trailed off and sighed softly. "I'll look at you and know every damn day you're going home to love someone, who is a horrible person, and that you left me for her. So…I don't know Sam."

Sam sighed. "Leah…I cannot take back what happened, but I can only try to help make things better. Emily knows how I feel about you because I told her and I do not care what she has to say. I will always regret what happened, but I can't change it. I was so confused and worried at the time. I was not sure what was happening. How could I love someone so deeply one day and then love someone else the next? I did not know what to do so I ran to the elders. They're the ones who knew what I was and they're supposed to know about the wolf. They explained what happened and I was baffled." He sighed in remembrance of that day. Being told he had to leave the love of his life and go to another was horrifying.

Leah shushed him. "I know, but it can't change how many nights I spent crying over you either. I've heard this a million times Sam."

"I know you have, but sometimes I feel like you don't believe a word I say and you think I would just throw you away like some piece of used trash. If I could, I would take everything back, but I can't. All I can do is move forward and try to make things better. I'm willing to try."

"All I can tell you is that I'm going to try." Leah gently took his hand and it did not hurt at all like he thought it would…Not even a twinge.

"I will make things better Leelee." Sam squeezed her hand gently. "This is a promise I will definitely keep if you give me a chance. Don't worry about Emily…I'll deal with her. Will you give me that chance Leelee?"

"You've always had that chance." Leah smiled weakly at him.

"Thank you." Sam then sat down and gestured for her to do the same.

"No matter what…I do want you around, Sam." Leah announced.

"Really?" Sam asked uncertainly. "I want you around too; I'll be the one to come over though. I'll let you know ahead of time."

"No, you don't need to." Leah looked at him. "You're pack; you can come and go as you please." She smiled weakly.

"I know, but I don't want to make you or Jake uncomfortable." Sam sighed. "Okay…I'll come over and try not to tell you ahead of time then." He smiled. "You and Jake huh? How is that working out?" It was challenging to say that, but he knew with time, it would get easier.

Leah chuckled softly. "Are we really going to talk about our relationships?"

Sam chuckled. The awkwardness of that question eased off his chest. "As a matter of fact, I would love to if you don't mind. I would love to know if you're happy and do hope he's taking good care of you."

"He is." Leah sighed dreamily and there was a soft smile on her face. Then she looked at him seriously. "Does she make you happy?"

Sam sighed deeply. "I don't even know how to answer you. There's quite a lot I found out and I don't even know how I feel anymore. A part of me still loves her because of the imprint, but a part of me is turned off by her."

Leah almost cringed. "If you could break the imprint right now, would you?"

"The imprint was what caused me my happiness with you so of course I would. Why?"

"I hate seeing you unhappy." Leah admitted.

"Well don't be. It's what I deserve. I'll be okay; I'll improvise." Sam smiled. "I like seeing you happy; you're glowing."

Leah felt bittersweet since Sam does not know about her pregnancy yet. She begged Jared and Paul not to tell him because she felt it would be better if he heard the news from her. "Sam….I have something to tell you."

Sam perked up. He was unsure how to feel because Leah sounded very serious. "Sounds important."

"It is." Leah inhaled deeply, not sure how Sam would take the news. Even after all that happened, she still cared about his feelings. She knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't help it. Without any further hesitation she blurted out the news. "I'm pregnant."

Sam's whole body went stiff; he was not expecting that. His eyes widened and Leah could see the hurt in them. He blinked it back and focused on her and said the first thing that came to mind. "Already?"

Leah raised an eyebrow.

"I mean…Wow…That was…Quick. Congratulations. Thank you for telling me." Sam was a little sad, but he was genuinely happy. He remembered Leah wanting kids and then finding out she could not have any. She was devastated. Now…she could and he could only imagine how much joy she was feeling.

"Yeah…I wanted you to hear it from me." Leah affirmed.

"Yeah…So what were you guys doing before I arrived? I'm surprised Jacob hasn't come to look for you yet."

"I give him ten seconds."

So said so done, Jake came bounding out the door. "Baby…Where've you been?" He saw Sam and paused. "Oh."

Leah smiled weakly. "Come sit down babe."

The alpha in Jake growled lightly, but he calmed down when he saw Leah's soft smile. They exchanged a silent thought and he walked over to her. He lifted her up, sat on the chair, then placed her on top of him with his arms around her, his palms resting on her stomach. "I missed you." He purred as he rubbed his face against hers.

Leah kissed his cheek. "Missed you too."

Jake then looked at Sam. The days without him gave him some time to think and he was relieved that Leah stopped him that day. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. I was just talking to Leah for a bit." Sam sighed. He might as well get it over with since Jacob was here. "Jacob…I would like to apologize-"

Jake put up his hand.

Leah watched the exchange between the two intently.

"It's alright; don't worry about it. You were not yourself. You were only following what your wolf's instincts were telling you to do. I apologize to you as well. I shouldn't have hurt you like that." Jake said as he glanced at his hands.

Sam shook his head. "No need to apologize Jacob. You did warn us and you were following your wolf's instincts too."

"Okay…Good. So we're cool?" Jake asked.

"Yeah." Sam smiled. "Oh congrats on the baby."

"Thanks…We're excited." Jake's hands rubbed Leah's stomach.

"Jacob…There's something I would like to discuss with you." Sam has thought long and hard about what he was about to say. He felt it was time anyway and this would avoid any future trouble in mating season.

From the tone of Sam's voice, Jake paid close attention. He was inwardly curious. "Sure…What's up?"

Leah was curious as well. She wondered if it was something she should be privy to. "Do you want me to leave?"

"Oh no…you're going to find out anyway so you might as well stay." Sam affirmed. He took a deep breath knowing what he was about to say might stun them. "I am ready to combine both packs and relinquish my position as alpha."

**AN: Okay…So Sam's not really a bad guy after all. Did you notice in the earlier chapters how silent Sam would be when they were all at the house? How he would keep everything inside? Yeah…that was some foreshadowing of what happened last chapter. Some of you figured it out, some didn't. What do you guys think? Are you ready to forgive Sam too? What do you think of his and Leah's convo? Was Leah too forgiving? Was Jake? Do you think Jake should agree? Review, Review, Review please and tell me what you think. **


	26. Chapter 26

'**Thoughts'**

Jake's eyes widened and he was speechless when he heard Sam's declaration. Leah was stunned as well. That was the last thing they were both expecting to hear from Sam.

Sam could only look on in amusement. He actually thought their reactions were funny and he liked that he could do that to them once in a while. "So what do you say Jacob? It's been a while and you are the rightful alpha. You already have a pack so why not join them? Not only that…I don't think there should be two alphas in one territory. As much as I respect you, I cannot help how I feel sometimes because of my wolf. Sometimes I feel intimidated when you're over in my area and I know the season is over, however, even looking at you and Leah now, I can't say I'm one hundred percent comfortable with it. Leah is a female wolf and that makes it all the more harder. Not mention she's claimed and the urge to challenge you is there and I know you don't want another fight just like I don't." Sam took a deep breath after his speech, hoping it worked. He was also ready to step down. He's been alpha since they were teenagers and truth be told he was tired. In addition to that, the mating season gave him a wake-up call.

Jake and Leah exchanged looks, then looked back at Sam. Jake was the first to speak. "Well you are right and I am one with my wolf now. I have never really thought about combining the packs and I do understand your instincts." He grinned. "They're not easy to control, especially if you're one with it and since you're not, then I completely understand. Sam…I will admit and tell you that you've been a great mentor to me. You were our alpha for a long time before we split. Hell…you're the first one who phased and went through the transformation alone and that takes guts. You took care of us when we all phased as well so you deserved to be alpha. When you first offered the position to me, I could not take it at the time and look what happened. I still became one eventually and the irony is pretty funny. On a serious note, I want to thank you for all that you've done for me and the others. If it wasn't for you, I think we'd all be in a circus or some kind of a zoo somewhere. Thank you." Jake gave him a soft smile.

Leah just sat there on top of Jake, watching him and Sam's interaction and she couldn't have been more proud. Sam and Jake had many differences and it felt good to see them talking and getting everything straightened out.

"You're welcome Jacob. If I had to, I would do it all over again. I would even help you guys out even more. I went through my transformation alone and it was rough. Words can't even explain what I've been through." Sam paused and glanced at Leah, remembering they were together at the time and how his disappearance was torture on both ends.

Leah glanced back at him, also remembering that time as well. It was rough on both of them and she did not know what was going on at the time. All she knew was Sam was missing and she was very close to losing her sanity.

Jake nodded his head in understanding. He was not aware of the tribe's secret at the time, but he heard about the commotion that was happening at the Clearwater home and the Uley's from his dad. Hell…his dad was over there a lot trying to help calm down Sam's mother while Harry and Sue tried to help Leah. "It was a rough time I heard."

Both Sam and Leah nodded.

"Well anyway, that time is over and although the events were shitty, they happened for a reason and has led us to where we are today. I really want for us to be one; I think it was meant for us to be one. All of us are bound together in more ways than I thought and it would be stupid to be separated much longer. You know what I mean?" Sam asked as he tilted his head.

"Yes I do Sam." Jake answered. "You right…It is time. I have this new feeling in me now that I've made peace with my wolf and it's a great feeling. At first I was stunned at your proposition, but now that I've thought about it, I feel like I am ready so my answer is yes. Let's do it." Being the positive man that he was, Jake grinned widely.

Leah smiled too and Sam's face brightened.

"Great! I'm glad we came to an understanding then. We don't have to do anything formal right?" Sam asked cheekily and with a chuckle.

Jake grinned. "Nah…No formal ceremony of anything I hope. I guess you could just make an official announcement when we're all gathered together with the others."

"He could do it now." Leah suggested. "We were just about to have dinner and he could just come in and join us and you two could do it then."

"Sounds like a good idea to me. Are you okay with that Sam?" Jake asked as he looked over at him.

"Sure…The sooner the better." Sam stood up.

Leah stood up too, pulling Jake to stand with her and they all proceeded into the house and headed straight to the dining room where everyone was seated.

"Finally! We're fucking starving in here. Damn!" Paul said in frustration and the others nodded.

"We were wondering what was taking so long." Embry paused as he looked at Sam, Jake, and Leah. "Okay…what's going on?"

The others paid close attention to the three at the front of table.

Sam, Jake, and Leah were all serious; there wasn't a trace of a smile on any of their faces. As a matter of fact, their faces were blank.

"Spit it out already. What's going on?" Quil prompted. He hated when they did that.

"We're combining the packs." Jake announced as he looked at each of their faces and he broke out into a huge grin.

Jared's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Who's alpha?" Seth inquired. He was internally excited. He always felt they should all be together from the start.

"Jacob." Sam answered.

"Oh shit! Sam…You did it?" Paul was very surprised and exasperated, but in a good way. He knew how stubborn Sam was and with all that happened, he guessed it was a rude awakening for him then.

Leah smiled widely and took a seat at the table.

"Yes…I decided to give up my position and combine both packs…With Jacob's permission of course." Sam explained as he too took a seat at the table.

It was only Jake standing now and they all turned to look at him. It was like they were seeing him for the first time and they all felt a sense of pride and were very proud of him. He was finally fulfilling what was waiting for him all along. Sure Sam was a great leader and alpha and they were all grateful to him, but Jacob was going to lead in a totally different, but powerful and good way. There was just something about Jacob Black that had that special zing to him and they could not wait to find out how things would be from now on.

Jake stood alone at the head of the table and looked at each of his brothers, his eyes staying on each for a couple of seconds. It seemed like he was silently analyzing them one by one. His face was blank again and his eyes betrayed no emotion. His gaze lingered on Leah the longest and then he took a deep breath and blinked his eyes. When his eyes opened again, they were pure black, showing the alpha persona in control. Even though the guys knew about Jake controlling his wolf and turning into his alpha's instincts, he has never spoken or addressed them that way. Tonight was going to be the first time he did it.

"_Hello my brothers." _The alpha greeted as he looked at them all again. _"My female." _There was a tiny trace of a smile as he greeted Leah and her eyes flashed to icy blue for a second then back to normal. The female acknowledged her mate's presence.

The others could only look at their alpha in awe. They have never seen him like this before and it was actually exciting. To see Jacob fulfilling his role was worth the wait in their opinion. All they could do was shake their heads, not knowing what to say or how their alpha would react if they spoke.

The alpha gave them a light smile, showing them it was alright to speak. He had an announcement to make and he thought of it as soon as he came to the decision to join both packs. "_Brothers…It's good to finally speak to you and be here together like this. It's an honor to be around such brave and intelligent men. I want you to know that even though I'm in charge, I'm your brother first and foremost._" Jacob paused, giving them a moment to absorb his words. "_Even though I make the final decisions, your opinions, suggestions, and thoughts matter to me. You are what makes the pack; in order to have a leader, there must be a group. I can't be a leader if I don't have anyone to lead._" He paused again, looking at each face carefully. He wanted them to know that they mattered and that he was not going to be the type of ruler that exuded his power and dominion over his people just for the fun of it.

The guys smiled, liking what their alpha was saying. They never thought Jacob would be like that, but it felt good to be reassured. They knew the type of person Jacob was and believed in him and could not wait to see what he was capable of. If they were truly honest with themselves, they were excited.

"_It's okay to speak my brothers. You don't have to smile or shake your heads to answer me._" Jacob said.

Seth surprised them first when he spoke. "Sure Jacob!" His voice was not loud, but the happiness of the moment was clear on him. Leave it to Seth who broke the ice for the others. Even Paul who was usually the sarcastic one, kept quiet, but was smiling.

"_Now that we've established that, I have some things I would like to discuss. I came up with these thoughts and wanted to divulge it right away. I want us to get our line-up in order. Now Leah is my Alpha Female so she is no longer my Beta. I have a Beta in mind and also a third._" Jacob announced as he looked at them.

"Already?" Sam asked. He was surprised at this spur of the moment discussion. 'Wow…Jacob wastes no time does he?' Sam smiled. Jacob was going to be a great leader after all.

Jacob looked at Sam. "_Yes. Since all of us are here, I wanted to get it out of the way because that is small compared to other things._"

"Okay." Jared agreed.

Quil and Embry were quiet out of the bunch. Jacob was their best friend since childhood. Of course Quil was his cousin, but more than that. They were the ones who were surprised the most. To see Jacob in this serious light was weird, yet refreshing. They felt very comfortable because it was Jake, even when he was in his alpha persona.

Jacob seemed to know what Embry and Quil were thinking because his gaze turned to them and he could not help but to give a big smile, but it disappeared as fast as it came.

"_Now the person I have in mind for Beta is someone surprising. If there are any objections, I am willing to hear them. Is that clear?_" He looked around at each of them againas they all nodded. "_The person I have in mind for Beta is…_" His gaze turned back to Quil. "_Quil Ateara._"

"What?" Quil eyes bulged out of his head and his mouth opened and closed like a fish. Hell…he looked like a fish out of water. He was the last person he would expect to be chosen as Beta. 'What the hell? I don't think I can do this.' He looked back at his alpha, the nervousness evident on his face, then he looked at each of his brothers. Surprisingly, they each gave him a small smile of encouragement. Yes they were shocked, but they knew Jacob had his reasons for choosing him.

"_Yes Quil…I would like for you to be my beta._" Jacob reassured.

"I think that's a good idea Quil." Leah spoke for the first time since greeting her alpha. She placed a hand on his shoulder in support. "Don't be nervous or feel guilty. I think you'll do a great job."

Quil beamed, but internally he was nervous and had a lot of questions. He thought this was the weirdest thing yet. He was the most playful of the group and did not think he was fit for this type of responsibility. Yes he could be as serious as a heart attack when the time came for it, but he did not think this position was for him. "Jacob…Why me?"

"_That's easy. Quil…I have known you all my life and you do have amazing leadership qualities. I've recognized it and so have Embry. You were the leader of our threesome for a long time and you took it very seriously. Your quick thinking and excellent strategic planning would help make you a great Beta. And those are only a few of your qualities._"Jacob's face was serious because it was not a joke. He really wanted Quil as his Beta. However, he would not force him if he did not want it. "_I think this would be good practice for you as well. Yes I am the next chief, but it is always good to have a back-up and you are the next chief after me. The same way how I learned and am still learning, they same way you can to._"

"Come on Quil…Take it. I remember how you would come up with these funny, but well thought out plans when we did mischief. And hey…They went off without a hitch…You know that. You're also going to be training as well with Jake for chief when he starts. So take it Quil and don't be too hard on yourself." Embry encouraged. He was happy for his friend and thought he would be awesome.

"Take it Quil." Seth beamed.

"Go ahead Quil…Take it." Sam added.

Paul shook his head in agreement. Too stunned to speak.

"_Let's come to a compromise. You can take the position and hold it for six months. If after the six months are up and you still feel like you don't want it, you can resign. How do you feel about that?_" The alpha informed and asked.

Quil perked up. "Really? This could be like a trial period then?"

"_If you would like to put it that way, then yes_. _So what do you say?_" Jacob inquired.

Leah's hand never left Quil's shoulder and she gave him a brief squeeze in support.

Quil looked around again and then back at his alpha. "Okay…I'll do it. I would love to be your Beta, Jacob."

Jacob smiled. "_Excellent._ _Now…next order of business. The Third and I have someone in mind as well._" Without missing a beat, his gaze zeroed in on Jared. "_Jared…I would like you to be my third._"

Jared nearly spat out the juice he just took a sip of. If anyone was shocked it was him and the others. They thought it would be Sam, but Sam was all smiles. Sam was internally happy at not being given the responsibility of Beta or Third. He needed the break and he was glad that Jacob understood.

"That's great man." Paul clapped Jared on the back, causing him to cough and then glare at him.

"_Jared you are very smart and have book sense. You know a lot of our history and your researching skills are amazing. With your knowledge of our enemies and our weaknesses, they are very beneficial to us and you may be the quietest of the bunch, but the most serious. You're not easily angered and you have the most patience out of all of us. I think you would help Quil out a lot when I'm not there and he's in charge. Quil would need a level-head such as yourself in case he was to panic or second guesses himself._" Jacob ended with a small smile. Him and Jared may not be close, but he knew him well enough to know what he was capable of.

"That beats me asking you 'why' then." Jared said as he put his glass of juice down. "I need a moment." He took a deep breath. He was not expecting to hear the request and he was excited about it. He felt a lot more useful and thought this was a great opportunity. "Yes…I'll do it."

"_Excellent._ _We will have another meeting on Friday to discuss patrol schedules and strategies. My female is with child and soon she will not be able to patrol._ _Is Friday evening convenient for you?_" Jacob looked at all of them and they all nodded. "_Good…Friday evening at seven after we have dinner._" He went over to Leah, hugged her, rubbed her stomach with his cheek and then her face. Last, but not least, he licked her mark and then stood up to face his brothers. "_Take care my brothers and see you soon._" The alpha retreated and Jake's eyes were back to his normal light brown. He grinned at them widely. "I'm starving…Let's eat." He took his place next to Leah.

"I'm starving too." Embry said as he grabbed the rice bowl.

"That was long and interesting. Way to do that now Jake." Paul could not help but tease.

"Hey…Like I said…The sooner the better." Jake retorted and he dug in after he had everything he wanted on his plate.

Leah looked at him with such love and devotion. It was good to see him like that and she was proud of the man he was becoming. Her hand went to her stomach. She could not wait until the little one got here; she could not wait to give birth to Jacob Black's child. She leaned her head over to his and kissed his neck. "I love you."

Jake paused at once and turned to his girl. "I love you too." He pecked her lips and proceeded to eat.

The gang engaged in a loud and happy chatter over dinner and enjoyed the rest of their night together.

The next evening, Jake, Leah, and Seth headed over to the Cullens. Leah needed to do a check-up on the baby and who better to go to than to Carlisle? They were over there a couple days ago for Seth's check-up and he was clear. His lump went down and the swelling on his brain went away so he was free to eat what he wanted again. Leah was the last one lagging behind; she dreaded her check-up. She shuddered at the thought of being fisted by a vampire.

As they came to the front door, Edward already had it opened.

"Hey Ed! How are you doing?" Jake asked as he walked inside. He and Edward were civil to each other since him and Nessie were still friends. Nessie's been great and was happy for him when she heard the news of Leah's pregnancy.

"I'm fine Jacob and how are you?" Edward's eyes flitted over to Leah once or twice as he smiled, regarding the she-wolf with crossed arms and looking none too happy.

Jake beams. "I'm great!" He sounded like the frosted flakes tiger. "We're here to see Carlisle. Of course you already know that."

"Edward…Hey where's Emmett?" Seth asked as he looked around the house.

Edward chuckled. "Indeed I do. Excited for fatherhood? I can assure you, Jacob it's a one-of-a experience that will never be replaced in all of my hundred years." He looked at Seth. "Emmett and Rose are in the kitchen Seth."

"I look forward to it Ed that's for sure. I'm excited." Jake replied. "Where are the others?" He really did not want to see Bella. They have not spoken ever since their big fight.

"They went hunting. I know you would've wanted to see Nessie, but Bella took her with them. They'll be back tomorrow." Edward informed.

"Okay." Jake was breathed out a sigh of relief. He really did not want to deal with Bella, not to mention Leah would have surely gotten involved.

"Lee, do you need me with you?" Seth asked his sister.

Leah grumbled. "No."

Seth walked over to Leah. "Lee cheer up. I assure you that you're in good hands. He'll take great care of you okay? Just yell or shout if you need me." He kissed her on the cheek and went to meet Rose and Emmett in the kitchen.

Leah smiled weakly at his retreating back. Her brother was too sweet sometimes.

Jake turned to his girl. "You'll be fine." He turned to back to Edward. "Lead the way captain."

Leah went back to grumbling some more while Edward laughed and lead the two up the steps. They went into the examination room which was the last room in the hall.

"Here's your patient Carlisle, as unhappy as one can get." Edward chuckled.

"Hey doc…What's up?" Jake greeted as he crossed over to him and shook his hand.

"Hello Jacob…Leah. I'm good. How are you this morning?"

"I threw up…It sucks." Leah grumbled.

Edward snickered. He loved this girl.

"Well it's going to be like that for a little while. I know you're not at ease so why don't you come over here to the bed so I can start. The sooner I can start, the sooner you can leave." Carlisle said as he smooth the sheets on the bed.

"Go ahead baby; I'm right here." Jake encouraged.

Leah begrudgingly walked over to the examination bed and Carlisle with her cute little irritated lip quirked in full effect.

"I will need you to change into this." Carlisle handed her what looked like a simple hospital gown. Let me know when you're ready for us to come back in." He beckoned to Edward and Jake and they all went out the door.

Leah changed into the gown, tempted to rip it, then called them back in once she was done. Carlisle immediately went over to her and turned on the machine to her left and he also turned on the monitor and then did an ultrasound. Jake came over in excitement once he saw his child on the screen. The baby was so tiny and it's body was curled and moving around constantly.

"Leah…that's our baby!" Jake said as he held her hand, kissed her cheek, then turned back to the screen.

Leah's mouth opened a little in amazement as she saw the baby. It was incredible.

Edward smiled warmly. He never got to see this with Renesmee. It might be weird that he was in the room with them, but he was actually there because he was Carlisle assistant and he was also into the medical field as well.

Jake was so happy and excited. He could not tear his gaze from the screen. To know that him and Leah created this life inside her was wonderful. "Our baby." He said lowly.

Leah smiled weakly, giving Jake's hand a little squeeze. She was getting more and more excited everyday.

"The baby seems to be developing quite fast. But then again, that's not surprising given your wolf abilities. Since you are a female wolf, your baby will take less time to develop. I can also sense a change in you. You're more in tune with your wolf now aren't you?" Carlisle inquired.

"Yes…And what do you mean by less time to develop?" Leah asked. This caught Jake's attention as well.

"You'll be pregnant for six months instead of nine. That's how long it takes for a female wolf to give birth to her pups. You're going to start showing already at two months which will be equivalent to a normal three months. At four months, you'll look like the normal six and at your sixth month, you'll look like nine and be ready to give birth." Carlisle informed as gently as he could.

Jake's eyes widened as saucers and he looked like he would faint. "What? That's like soon. Damn…We need to prepare…We need to hurry…We need-"

"Calm down Jacob. Honestly, I believe my family may have already outfitted you with most of what you'll need, Rosalie especially." Edward informed and then smirked. "She and Alice went a little…Overboard. Not only that, but babies are rumored to be able to pick up stress in the womb."

"They did not have to go through all of that. We had everything under control." Jake took a deep breath, trying to control his breathing and the alpha in him. He remembered that Rose and Leah got along so he should not have been surprised. Alice would always be Alice and there was no stopping her anyway. He should know; he's been there, done that when he was with Nessie.

Leah could only chuckle at Jake's panic. He was panicking more than she was. She smiled weakly at the thought of Rose going overboard. They got along well because of both of their bitchy, outspoken attitude and they also commiserated on the inability to have children. That was what Leah thought at the time. Now she was pregnant with this little miracle and she could get pregnant every year if she wanted. She couldn't have been happier. She truly adored Rose and thought of making her the Godmother, but she wanted to talk it over with Jake first before she asked her. "Well at least we won't have to worry about clothes." She chuckled.

"Please don't remind me." Jake replied. He shuddered in remembrance of all the expensive name brand clothes Alice bought him. He never wore any of them and they were still in his closet at home covered in plastic.

"Leah…When you reach your third month, you will not be vomiting as much and your appetite will come back in full-force. Given that your baby is a full-blooded wolf, you will be eating _a whole lot_ more." Carlisle smiled softly.

Edward chuckled. "The little guy or girl will basically be a vacuum in there. Leah will have to eat lot, quite a lot just to get any nutrients for herself at all."

Leah groaned.

"Yes that's true." Carlisle turned to Jake. "Jacob you will need to prepare yourself. You will be around a hungry and moody person for a little while. Leah will be hormonal and highly sensitive to almost everything so try to be a little patient with her. Not only that…this baby will be very strong and he or she will be likely to crack a rib or two." He turned back to Leah. "Remember that Leah. You will experience a lot of pain. Also no more phasing until I tell you to. Drink plenty of water and liquids and _no_ alcohol and that includes any kind of beer, wine, or anything that has alcohol in it. You may be a wolf, but you're not invincible and neither is your baby."

"Damn…This is just keeps getting better and better." Leah mumbled. She loved her beer.

Edward laughed. He was sure getting a lot of jokes today. "You're skin and bones Leah so I don't think you will eat enough that would make you look fat."

"Not helping Edward." Jake warned.

Carlisle handed her two small containers of tablets. "These are prenatal vitamins for the baby. Take two of those everyday until your sixth month. They are to help with the baby's development. You won't need them after your sixth month because the baby will be developed and just waiting until it's ready to come out."

Leah grumbled and nodded, taking the pills and shoving them into her bag.

"Eat a well-balanced diet; eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Mostly a lot of greens like spinach and broccoli. Eat a lot of protein as well, but not as much as the vegetables." Carlisle instructed.

Edward chuckled. "Leah has a checklist in her mind and as you read out her directions, she keeps checking things off. It's a list of _I hate's_."

Jake laughed. "Figures. Leah hates spinach."

"Well she doesn't have a choice now does she? Now that we've seen the baby, it's time to do a cervix check." Carlisle removed the equipment from Leah's stomach. "Do you want Jacob and Edward in here while I do this?"

"Not if your son's going to be constantly in my head." Leah replied.

"I can hear you from outside the door too you know." Edward reminded.

Leah rolled her eyes. "Then I don't care."

"Baby I'll be here." Jake cringed and growled internally. 'Damn…another man in my territory…A vampire at that."

Leah just nodded. She looked like a cat that was about to be thrown into a tub of water. She was not scared, but she was pissed as all hell.

Edward laughed at Jake's thought. "Be careful Carlisle…Jacob thinks Leah's vagina is as much his as it is her own."

Jake growled at Edward. "Get out of my damn head!"

Edward smirked. "I'm quite amused so I'd rather stay."

"Damn it Edward!" Jake growled and then smiled suddenly. He remembered that he could block him and he did just that. He grinned in Edward's direction, knowing how much it irritated him to know he could not read his mind.

"Ignore him Jacob…That's what you usually do." Carlisle turned to Leah. "Alright Leah. Let's do this." He put on his gloves.

Leah groaned loudly. "Get it over with." Her wolf was growling; it hated this with a passion. It was disrespectful and degrading, having another touch what should belong to her alpha male, her mate only and no other. Part of the animal within was even worried for it's pup's safety as if Carlisle could be a real threat. It was just natural instinct.

Carlisle hesitated, glancing back at Jacob and saw he was tensed. He turned back to Leah and quickly got to work. He inserted his hand inside her, moving quickly and fluently from side to side and top to bottom.

Leah bit her bottom lip, shifting a little in discomfort.

Edward smirked. "Yes Leah…All three of us are very happy we are not females."

Jake was pissed; the alpha in him was growling at the sight. He turned away just so he could not see. His instinct was telling him to attack, but he tamed it down as best as he could. He knew Carlisle was only doing his job and nothing else.

"Not helping Edward." Carlisle said firmly. His face was set in concentration and he continued his movement. He wondered what got into Edward today. He looked down at Leah. "A few more minutes okay?"

Leah spoke through gritted teeth at the tightness and embarrassment. "Why minutes? Something wrong down there doc?"

"The baby moved as soon as my hand entered. I believed it sensed my kind and moved away suddenly. I am trying to get it to move back to it's proper place where it's supposed to be." Carlisle informed.

Jake turned back around. "The baby sensed your kind already?" He beamed in pride. "That's my kid!"

Leah just groaned as Carlisle tried to shift the baby back into place. The wolf in her was literally howling with anger now, snarling viciously. The leech's hand was too close to her pup…Too damn close for comfort. If Leah was phased, she would've probably bit him.

"Carlisle…Slow down. Leah's thoughts right now are a bit more…Primal than I'm comfortable with." Edward instructed.

Carlisle listened to Edward and did just that. Minutes later the baby was back in it's rightful place and he pulled his hand out. "All right Leah…Everything is in working order. The baby is fine and is where it should be."

Jake blew out a deep breath at that news. The wolf in him was calming down little by little. "Thanks Carlisle. I do not know what I would do if this went on a little longer. You know how aggressive wolves are. You know the drill." He went over to Leah. "You okay baby?"

Leah was still speaking through clenched teeth, trying to calm down her wolf as well. The animal was tense and angry. "Fine."

Jake could sense her distress and he took a hand and started to caress the mark on her neck and rubbed his face next to hers. His eyes flickered back and forth from black to his light brown. The alpha making an appearance and trying to comfort it's mate. "I'm right here Leah."

Carlisle watched them in awe while Edward tilted his head in amazement. Jacob's simple touch had incredible calming effects. He could practically visualize the wolf within Leah sinking to the ground with a whimper of contentment. He could see it in the way Leah let out a gentle breath, shut her eyes, and leaned into Jacob's caress like it was all she needed to breathe.

Carlisle was fascinated with the sight. The alpha's bond with his female was evidently strong. He has never seen anything like this. The bond seemed even more deeper than a vampire's connection to it's mate.

Jake continued his caresses and his wolf was now fully calmed. He was so happy and enjoyed the feeling of Leah's skin against his own. "Do you feel better Lee?"

Leah slowly nodded, then got off the table and went straight into Jake's waiting arms. She wrapped her own arms around him and let her hands rub at his back. Just his comforting voice and touch was enough to dissipate the angry feelings.

Jake pulled away after a moment. "Let's go home."

Leah nodded rather quickly.

Edward laughed. "She's more than ready to go Jacob. I think she's rather been scarred for life."

Leah gave the copper-haired leech her middle finger.

"Edward!" Carlisle scolded. "What has gotten into you lately? You're not helping."

"I'm sorry Carlisle." Edward smirked. "Leah just has the most amusing mind…A unique outlook on life I suppose. I've been following her thoughts for nearly a year now. I'm quite in tuned with her thinking patterns."

"Hope you had a good time." Leah said sarcastically.

"Indeed I did. Even when your thoughts were less than pleased with life, they were always quite entertaining." Edward admitted.

Jake growled. "That's an invasion of privacy Edward! Back off!" He was ready to pounce at any moment if Edward did not shut his mouth.

Edward put up his hands in a peace sentiment. "My apologies Jacob."

"You better! Go read your wife's mind instead. Oh yeah…you can't." Jake growled out. He knew it was low, but damn it was annoying.

Before Edward could retort, Leah cut in and smiled weakly. "Jake…You sound like you wish you could read my mind."

"No I never wished that. I just know how it feels to have your privacy violated." Jake looked at Edward while he said that.

"Well I'll be off. I'm going to back to my wife. Remember what I said Leah and no phasing." Carlisle reminded as he went on his way to find Esme.

"Like I said Jacob, I'm sorry. But some of her thoughts really are interesting. Leah has such a different outlook on life." Edward said.

Leah sighed. "I'm going to miss phasing."

"Well they're hers and if she wants to share them, she will." Jake growled out again, then held Leah's hand. "Let's go get Seth and go home."

"Okay." Leah pecked his lips, then let his hand go so she could get changed. After she was done, the two left the room and went in search of Seth and found him in the living room with Emmett and Rose.

Emmett whistled. "Her legs go on forever."

"Hey guys! Lee how'd it go?" Seth asked as he went over to his sister.

Leah grinned. Only Emmett. "Thanks teddy bear." It was her name for him since he was built like a huge bear. She turned to her brother. "It hurts to walk, but I'm good." Leah gave him a weak smile and wrapped an arm around him. Seeing her brother always made her smile.

Seth raised an eyebrow. "Hurts to walk? Why? What happened? Wait a minute…Do I even want to know?"

"I'm not sure Seth. What do you think Lee? It's your call." Jake said as he let her be in control of that one.

"One minute." Leah turned to Rose. "Hey Rose…You know I'd like to talk, but right now…I'm going home. I'll call you later okay?"

"Yeah…Hurry up and leave though cause this house stinks." Rose said with a teasing smile.

"Like you smell any better. Bye bitch!" Leah bellowed out as she walked out the door with her boys.

"Later Harpy!" Rose replied to her retreating back with a chuckle.

"Back to you bro. Since you're old enough to know these things, your sister got fisted by a vampire today. It wasn't great." Leah smiled like the bitch she was. "Aren't you glad to be growing up?"

Seth cringed, but took it like the man he was becoming. He had one more year to go until eighteen anyway. "Ouch! I can see why you can't walk. Anyway that's life. It happens to all pregnant females." He chuckled at her.

"Mmm." Leah playfully punched her brother in the arm and headed into their home. They got there pretty quickly.

The boys followed her and then it hit Jake. "Lee…We haven't told my dad yet. Oh crap…It's been days now and we haven't told him. We told the pack before him. I hope they did not say anything or else we're going to get it big time from him. Are you tired? Are you up for a visit to my dad's?"

"Yeah we can go over for a visit. Why haven't you told your dad yet? You tell him everything." Leah inquired. She was very curious. She thought his dad would be the first person he would tell.

"Well truth be told, I remembered how adamant he was about us using protection and all that. Remember? Not only that, he's been fishing a lot or watching a game with Charlie."

"Yes I do." Leah rolled her eyes at Charlie's name. Whenever she heard his name, her mother's name came up as well. Her mother did live with him anyway.

Jake sighed, told Seth they were heading out, and the two went off the Billy's. They walked over to the house leisurely. It was not like either of them were very excited about the direction the talk with Billy might take. He was not entirely too fond of Leah and the duo _had_ been warned. Billy did adore Leah, but because of the turn Leah's life took, his feelings changed. Maybe they would change back once he has seen that Leah was trying.

Jake was really nervous. He absolutely loved and respected his father. Billy's rejection would really hurt him if he didn't approve. Jake was the first on the porch and stood in front of the door. "Are you ready Lee?"

Leah took a small breath, gave Jake her signature smile, and nodded.

Jake knocked and then entered, calling out to Billy. "Dad? Dad, are you here?"

"In the kitchen Jake." Billy responded.

They ventured into the kitchen with Jake in front and Leah lagging behind.

"Dad!" Jake walked over to him quickly and embraced him.

Billy smiled warmly and patted his son's back. "Hey there Jake. What are you up to today? Patrol going good?"

"Yes…Everything is great. You know about me finally claiming Leah and being one with my wolf. I feel magnificent. I met with the guys yesterday for the first time as alpha. I shocked the hell out of them." Jake said as he grinned.

"I could only imagine their faces." Billy smiled.

"Hello Mr. Black." Leah greeted from behind Jake.

"Hello Leah." Billy returned. He was happy for his son and he loved Leah, but was still a little leery of her.

"I haven't seen you in while Dad. Every time I come home, there's a note saying you are either watching a game at Charlie's or fishing with him. I've missed you." Jake admitted sheepishly. Hell…His dad was the only family he had besides Leah and he loved him very much. It was always the Billy and Jake show.

Billy chuckles. "Well it's salmon-spawning season Jake. You know how your old man likes his fish sticks. But I miss you too."

"I know." Jake's mood changed and he looked a little sullen. He was happy and everything, but nervous on how his dad would take the news. "Dad…There's something I need to tell you."

Leah's hand took his, giving it a gentle squeeze. Billy eyed the exchange before he looked up at his son and raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"

"Well I don't how else to say this, but Leah and I are expecting a baby. Leah's pregnant." Jake said in one breath.

Billy's eyes widened. "What?"

"As you know…The mating season's over and done with. You know what happened with Sam and claiming Leah was pure instinct and using protection was far out of my mind. I did not care about that; I just cared about making Leah mine and stopping the madness of the season." Jake explained.

"Yes I understand. I am glad Leah is alright and you managed to save her." Billy turned to Leah. "Are you having any lasting effects of the season dear?"

"I'm fine…Thank you." Leah answered.

Jake continued. "As you know the second week was Leah's fertile week and that's when the marking and claiming happened. I told you everything except for the vision I had after you know…" He trailed off with an embarrassed blush.

"Right…You can skip that part." Billy said.

"Well I had a vision of Leah being pregnant and giving birth and we just came from a visit with Carlisle and he did an ultrasound which confirmed it."

"Oh Jacob."

Jake looked down. "I know dad and I'm sorry if I've disappointed you, but I'm not sorry about the baby. In fact, I'm actually looking forward to it. Leah's my love, my life, my mate, and my alpha female. This baby was conceived out of our love and I promise you I am taking full responsibility for this. I love you dad and I really need your support on this. I mean this is going to be _your grandchild_ you know."

Billy sighed and looked at Leah, eyes roaming her stomach like he already expected her to be showing greatly. "I always knew I wanted grandkids…Many of them in fact. I just didn't think you'd give up your own youth to give them to me." He thrummed his fingers on his armrest. "Of course I'll support you Jacob. What kind of father would I be if I didn't?"

"I know dad, but I remembered your warning the day you told us about this mating season crap and I remembered the look on your face and your adamancy about using a rubber. Oh and let's forget I am twenty and will be twenty-one soon, the official legal age. Technically, my youth days are over." Jake winked.

Leah chose to stay out of the conversation; this was something between Jake and his dad.

Billy sighed. "But hers are not. And no Jacob…twenty and twenty-one isn't the end of youth…Thirty is." He smiled weakly. "Well…As long as I get to be there when the baby's born and I hopefully get a middle name mention, I think we'll be good to go."

"Of course you'll be there for the birth. I would not have you miss it for the world." Jake smirked. "Middle name huh? You're bribing me? You'll be fully excited and happy then?"

"I'm sure it won't take me long." Billy smiled at his son, then he looked at Leah. She made his son happy and from what Jake told him, she turned her life around. Maybe it was time he let go of the past and give her another chance. He smiled at her brightly. "I'm sure you're eating healthy, staying in shape, and behaving well?"

Leah nodded. "Perfectly sir."

"Good. You make my son very happy Leah and for that I am happy. I would love for us to start over and besides, I know you'll officially be my daughter-in-law one day." Billy smiled.

Leah blushed when she heard that. "That sounds like a good idea Mr. Black."

"Please…Call me Billy." Billy corrected.

Leah smiled, finally feeling comfortable with Billy. "Thank you…Billy."

Jake turned serious. "Dad…I wonder if you're glad the wolf gene skipped you? I don't know if you should be or not. Don't get me wrong…I love it and it's a part of me, but I can't help but to wonder sometimes."

Billy tilted his head in curiosity. "Why Jake? What don't you like about being a wolf?"

"Dad I love it and I don't have any problems with it, but this imprinting thing and instinct and all that were something else. Not to mention the woman I love and future wife will be up for grabs by some other alpha or wolf of power every spring and I will have to be on guard and fight if anything has to happen." Jake did not tell Leah these thoughts were going through his mind. So this was a surprise to Leah to hear this from him.

Billy nodded. "I suppose, but I thought you said your wolf was attracted to Leah. Perhaps if you weren't shape-shifters, there would be no connection. Did you consider that?"

"Of course I did. That's one of the reasons why I love my wolf. It helped lead me to Leah, but don't forget dad. I've always loved Leah ever since we were kids." Jake reminded.

Billy smiled weakly. "Well maybe you shouldn't dwell on the what-if's."

"I'm not…Well not really. I can't help but think sometimes, but what's done is done and I am happy with where my life is today. Oh…I have another thing to tell you."

"What's that?"

"Sam resigned as alpha, we combined both packs and now we're one with me as the alpha." Jake beamed.

"Really?" Billy asked in shock.

"Yes…That's why I met with them as alpha and everything is great now." Jake was excited and Leah smiled in pride. He told his dad about his announcement and who he made Beta and Third.

"Wow…Interesting picks you made Jake. I trust you know what you're doing and I think it's smart to build on the guys' strengths. I know Sam is tired and I know he's grateful for the break." Billy assumed.

"Yes he is. I love my picks and I have faith in them and I know they'll do well. Like I said…I am so happy with where my life is right now. I have the best girlfriend a man could ever have, the best father in the world, and the best brothers I could've ever hoped for. I'm blessed and so grateful and I cannot complain. I have a child on the way and when he/she gets here, my life will be even more better, it'll be perfect." Jake smiled at his dad and then at Leah.

Leah came over to Jake and hugged him tightly. She felt the same way and she couldn't have said it any better. Things in her life were finally starting to look up and she looked forward to the future and what it would bring. A hand went to her stomach and she rubbed it, picturing her child leaning into her palm. Yes…she was blessed.

**AN: WOW! This a lot longer than I expected. It is the second to last chapter anyway. The next chapter will be the epilogue. So what did you guys think? The pack is finally one and Jake made his choice for Beta and Third. Did his choices surprise you? What do you think about his alpha persona? What about Leah's doc appointment with Carlisle? I laughed while writing it and Edward was hilarious. It was fun to see him unwind a little. Review and let me know what you think. **


	27. Epilogue

**AN: Hey guys! I apologize for the late update. Things have been so hectic lately and so busy. I hope me putting up the latest chapter of "Torn" kept you occupied for a bit. For those who haven't read it yet or even know I've posted chapter 7, feel free to check it out. And let me know what you think. Anyway…on to the Epilogue. I hope you guys like it. One more thing: Pay special attention to every character and the events that happens. **

'**Thoughts' **

_Six Months Later_

It was the sixth month of Leah's pregnancy, October. Leah's stomach was huge, very round, and ripe. It almost looked swollen because it was that big. There was a waddle in her step and she constantly complained of not seeing her feet or pussy anymore. She and Jake just got home from her last ultrasound. In the process, the baby cracked three of Leah's ribs. Being that the baby was a full-blooded wolf, baby of an alpha, it was very strong. Carlisle had to follow procedure and went down south on Leah again to move the baby back into position. Of course the wolf in Leah almost lost it, but with Jake by her side, she was able to stay calm enough until Carlisle was done. Everything was all clear and Leah and Jake were so excited to be having a boy. He was due in three weeks and everything was all set.

Before they left, Jake and Leah stayed a little to chat with Rose and Emmett and also Nessie. It was decided that Rose would be the baby's Godmother and when she was asked, she was ecstatic. She already made preparations and made a huge space in her bedroom for when she had her Godson over. The Godfather to be was not asked yet and they figured they would do that when they got home. Jake still has not seen Bella and he was actually very happy because all it told him was that she never cared about his happiness at all. He was grateful to have found out the truth earlier rather than later.

Jake, Seth and the others had a surprise for Leah a little later and could not wait to show her. Until now, they decided to wait a little. Seth made birthday a couple of days ago and he was now legal. Leah and the guys threw him a huge party and he was so excited. Leah however, made sure to let him know that even though he was eighteen, he was still her baby brother, whom she adored and would never leave. Speaking of said brother, he was not home yet and Jake and Leah exchanged a look.

"It feels weird coming home to an empty house." Leah admitted.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I am accustomed to coming home and meeting Seth on the floor playing video games or in the kitchen cooking. Now that he's eighteen, he's been out a lot and I just don't know…" Leah trailed off.

"Awww…You miss Sethy poo." Jake went over to Leah and hugged her. "Hey…We knew he wasn't going to stay young forever you know. He had to grow up some time. Besides, you're the one who carried him to get his license and bought the vehicle he and I worked on together for him to drive."

"Yeah, but did it have to be so soon? Oh and thanks for rubbing it in." Leah sighed and placed her head in Jake's neck.

"Don't worry Lee. Seth loves you too much to ever leave you and who knows? He realized that you're having a family and he's just giving you the time and space you need to focus on that." Jake said in comfort.

"Yeah, but I just hope he doesn't give me too much space. Sometimes I feel like there's some stuff that he refuses to tell me." Leah admitted.

Jake raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah. I had to grow up fast and so did Seth. Sometimes I just worry that he's kept a lot of things bottled up inside. I just hope they don't consume him." Leah nuzzled his neck and kissed his jaw.

Jake pulled Leah as close as her belly would allow and rested his head on top of hers. "Seth's a responsible kid and he'll be fine. Trust me okay?"

"Okay. I wonder where he is though. It's almost nine and he's not home yet. Seth's always home by eight." Leah pulled away and went over to the window to look outside.

"Don't be such a sap. He'll be here okay? Let's go upstairs and get you situated in bed. You've had a long day." Jake held her hand and pulled her in the direction of the stairs.

"You're right honey; my brother is fine." Leah smiled weakly and followed Jake upstairs.

_At Baby "R" Us_

Seth was busy buying a couple of things for Leah and the baby. He wanted to surprise her and even though she already had a baby shower, he wanted to give her something from him personally. He was looking at a cute one-sie that had the words "Mommy's Little Champion" on the front. While looking at the cute one-sie, a scent hit his nostrils hard and he inhaled deeply. The scent smelled like sweet pea and vanilla…Very sweet with a mixture of cherry blossoms. He inhaled the scent again, then put the one-sie in the cart he was pushing and when he looked up, he froze at the sight in front of him. Standing just a few feet in front of him was the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. He looked at her from the crown of her head to the shoes on her feet.

Her skin was a milk chocolate brown; her hair as black as midnight and shiny like the stars. It hung down and stopped at her neck like a bob. He knew if he ran his fingers through it, it would feel as smooth and as soft as silk. She had a big bust, probably double d's, with wide hips and a full bottom that stuck out the real way. Her blouse was yellow and fit her like a second skin; her black jeans stopped at mid-calf and clung to her legs. She was voluptuous and full in all the right places. She looked five foot four inches even with her yellow sandals with three and a half inch heels. He could not wait until she lifted her face so he could see it. As soon as he thought that, he got his wish and she looked up and he almost gasped at the sheer beauty of her face. Her lips were full and light brown with a little hint of pink, her nose nice and pert, and her eyes were a light caramel brown that glowed even with the lights on in the store. This girl was gorgeous and he wondered where she came from. She looked Native American, but different…Maybe with a mixed background. Whatever ethnicity she was, she was stunning. He found himself growling lightly and jumped when he realized it. 'What the hell? That was strange.' He took a deep breath and prepared to approach her.

"Hi…" Seth was breathless; she was even more beautiful up close.

Raynia looked up from the pack of bottles she had in her hands when she heard the sexiest voice in the whole world. She was not even sure if it was her the voice was addressing, but she took a chance and looked at the man anyway and she almost stumbled. Standing in front of her was the sexiest man she has ever seen in all her life. His skin was a golden brown, hair as black as wool and little curls touched his forehead. His eyes were a dark brown and he had high cheekbones that accentuated his face perfectly. His lips were big and juicy and looked good to nibble on. His shirt fit him like a glove and he was huge, with broad shoulders, a massive chest, and a flat six pack stomach. Her eyes traveled down to his thighs and they widened when she noticed how firm and taut they looked and when she realized where her thoughts were leading, she looked away and blushed madly.

"Hi…." Her voice was soft and silky like velvet.

Seth nearly shivered from her voice; it almost grew goosebumps on his skin. "I could not help but to notice how beautiful you are and wanted to let you know that." He looked at her from head to toe again, not being able to help himself. 'Damn!'

"Th-Thank you." Raynia answered shyly, still unable to look at him. She did not know how to really feel. This was the first in a long time since she has been called beautiful.

Seth nearly growled again and cleared his throat. "May I have the honor of knowing your name?"

Raynia's eyes widened again in slight shock. She felt his eyes on her and felt a little uncomfortable, but something told her this man was a good one. She could not put her finger on it. "Raynia…Raynia Joseph." She answered, her voice still soft.

"Raynia…" Seth whispered. "That's a very pretty name for a pretty girl." Seth said to her. His gaze on her was soft, yet serious at the same time. "I'm Seth…Seth Clearwater."

Raynia started to feel very self-conscious and began to rub her left arm from top to bottom repeatedly. Her mind was telling her to run…Run for the hills and never look back. 'Clearwater?' That name rung a bell in her head, but she couldn't put her finger on where she heard it before. She knew that name though.

Seth shook his head. "I did not mean to stare and I apologize if I'm making you uncomfortable."

"It's-It's alright." Raynia replied.

"Raynia…Listen…I know this is sudden, but will you please have dinner with me tomorrow night?" Seth knew he was going straight for the goal, but that was what he was taught. He was taught to get right to the point before he lost his nerve. He was indeed nervous inside and would feel bad if she turned him down. However, he already made up his mind not to give up if that was the case. He was so glad he had the night off the next night.

"Dinner?" Raynia gulped, not expecting that question at all. She was so nervous and a little scared and her first instinct was to say "no." But he came on nicely and wasn't strong like the others. He called her beautiful instead of hot and that was a plus in her book. Should she approve and go with it or disapprove and walk away? What if she never saw him again? What if the next man that made a move on her came on very strong and rude? What if? She silently berated herself. 'It is better to find out now than to wonder what could've happened later.' "Okay…I'll go to dinner with you."

Seth blew out the big breath he did not know he was holding and he perked up with a bright smile. "Great!" He wondered where they should go and his mind went through many restaurants quickly. "Where would you like to go? You have anywhere in mind?" He would not mind if she came up with the place; this was all about her.

"Am…I don't know. We could go to a diner if you want. It does not have to be anywhere fancy." Raynia was not hard to please and since this was their first date, she did not mind taking it easy.

Seth's eyes widened. 'Wow! She seems like she's simple and don't ask for much.' "How about you meet me at IHOP? I think that's a simple place to start. What do you say?" His eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. He wanted to get to know her, about her, and everything that made her Raynia.

"Sounds nice. I would love to meet you there. What time?"

"Hm…How about seven thirty?"

"Sounds good. I guess I'll see you tomorrow at seven thirty. Goodbye Seth." Despite her acting cool and calm, her heart was pounding. It was pounding so hard, she thought it was loud enough for him to hear. Raynia turned around to walk away when that sexy voice stopped her again.

She was right…Seth could hear the rapid pounding of her heart. 'She's nervous…Just like me.' "Wait!" He lowered his voice and asked bashfully. "May I please have your number?" He wondered if that was too fast, but he would still like to have it just in case.

Raynia froze, not sure of her answer. Seth was so polite and the way he asked was sweet. She turned back around. "Sure." She gave him her number and in turn he gave her his.

Seth's eyes roamed over her again and with a newfound confidence that came out of nowhere, his voice went deep when he spoke. "Thank you and it was a pleasure meeting you…Raynia. I look forward to our date tomorrow." His gaze was intense and he growled lightly. 'What the hell?' He hoped she did not catch that.

Raynia blushed a dark crimson. That voice was just…Wow. She hoped her own was calm and she would not stutter when she spoke. "You're welcome. Have a goodnight Seth." With that said, she walked out of there so fast, leaving her scent trailing behind her.

Seth inhaled her scent deeply like he needed it to breathe. He was standing there just breathing it in when he received three texts back to back from his sister. After reading them, he laughed out loud. Big sis wanted her baby bro home ASAP. He sighed. 'Only because she's pregnant.' With that last thought, Seth ventured over to the cashier and cashed out to go home.

_Sam and Emily's_

Meanwhile Sam stepped through the door of his house after patrol. He was due home hours ago, but he took a little stroll further up north to clear his head. Him and Emily were getting worse and worse and it was only because of the imprint that he was even still with her. He wished he knew how to break it. He would never forget the fight they had six months ago that triggered it all when he got home from Leah's after dinner.

_Sam came home only to find Emily in her usual position at the dinner table, recipe book open in front of her._

"_And where were you?" Emily asked as she lifted her face to look at him. _

_Sam froze when he heard her voice; it was becoming very annoying. He turned to her. "Excuse me?"_

"_I asked, where were you? It's nearly midnight!" Emily reiterated. _

"_Oh well first I was patrolling and then had dinner by Leah." Sam smiled widely in remembrance of the night's events. Leelee was his friend again and everything with his brothers were cool now. _

"_What are you so smiley about?" Emily was curious. She has not seen that smile in a long time. _

"_Well I had a great and delicious dinner. Leelee and I got to talking and now everything is wonderful." Sam confessed with the biggest of smiles on his handsome face. _

"_Wait, wait, wait…Leelee? Sam what the hell?" Emily was exasperated. Since when did he go back to calling Leah 'Leelee?'_

_Sam looked at her, his smile innocent. "What? What's the matter?"_

"_Why are you calling her Leelee?" _

"_Why not? She's my friend so I can if I want to. What's the problem?" Sam blinked. _

"_It seems like you want her to be more than your friend Sam! Look…I don't want you spending as much time over there anymore!" Emily exploded. Everything was Leah this and Leah that. Sam was always over there and not here with her. _

_Sam growled. "Excuse me? Look…She has been my friend way before she was my girl. I have been calling her that for a long time before we got together so back off. She is my friend now. We finally got the chance to talk things out and we came to an understanding. She's with Jacob now and very happy and I am happy for her. She's the same Leelee I know and she forgave me. You don't get to tell me what to do or who to hang out with. At the end of the day I come home to you so why can't you just relax and stop being so paranoid?" He was angry that she would insinuate something like that. He would always love Leah; she was his first love, but she moved on and so did he. Unfortunately it was with this stranger standing in front of him. "Leah and I finally got closure and everything is great. Too bad I can't say the same thing for us." _

_Emily slammed her palm on the table and stood up. "Sam, I'm supposed to mean the most to you! You should be apologizing to me for spending so much fucking time over there lately!"_

_This was what pissed Sam off and his voice boomed throughout the whole house. "I wouldn't be spending so much time over there as you put it if you weren't acting like such a BITCH! You should apologize to me for your stupid ass behavior. Even though you're my imprint, I am not your fucking puppet. You don't get to talk to me however you want or order me around. So if you know what's good for you, you better start getting your act together!"_

"_Or what?" Emily challenged. _

"_I will leave your ass so fast so help me God! I will find a way to break this stupid ass imprint and find someone who really deserves me. You don't realize it, but your behavior and attitude are pushing me away from you and now a part of me can't stand the sight you!" _

_Emily gaped at him in slack-jawed shock, then she slapped him across the face. "You'll never find somebody better than me. You're lucky! So don't you dare talk about leaving me!" _

_Sam grabbed her hand and growled at her. "Don't you ever put your hands on me again. I will find someone better than you. Leah was…Maybe that's why I imprinted on you. Leah was too good for me and you're beneath her so fate took a filet mignon from me and gave me a burger!" He chuckled at his own joke despite his anger. "Keep this act up and soon you won't ever see me!" Sam left her there in her spot standing in shock and he went to the kitchen and made himself a sandwich and just ignored her presence. _

_Emily's eyes followed him until she could not see because of her tears. Then she ran into the bedroom, slammed the behind her and bawled her eyes out. _

_Sam ignored her and ate his sandwich. A part of him wanted to run to her, apologize, and comfort her, but he refused. 'It's the imprint talking.' The imprint pull was indeed strong, but he forced himself to stay in his spot and just kept replaying Emily's disgusting behavior. After his sandwich and with much struggle to get to his bed on the sofa, he drifted off to sleep. _

_End of flashback_

That night set off a whole lot of other arguments and it would always end up the same way with Emily crying. She never put her hands on him again though, but she always made it a point to bring up Leah and him being by her house all the time and other nonsense. Hours later, he would hear her on the phone to Rachel and Kim complaining and bashing Leah and it took a lot out of him not to go in there and give her another scar. He sighed and went over to the couch and sat down. He pulled out his cell and scrolled to a name and when he got to it, he smiled. Ever since that night at the bonfire on the beach with Leah's friends, they kicked it off very well. It was only three months ago when he bumped into her by Leah's, did they exchange numbers. Felicia was a Godsend and such a great friend. She was aware of his situation and have been helping him to calm down and feel better after his fights.

He kicked off his shoes, laid with his back on the couch, and then pressed the send button. He smiled when he heard the voice answer and the two proceeded to have one of the best conversations of his life.

_Jared and Kim's_

Paul was at Jared's house in a pissed off mood. He had yet _another_ fight with Rachel and he did not know what has gotten into her lately. She's been getting jealous, possessive, manipulative, and just always angry lately. The arguments started off small and with little things and then all of a sudden, it would get bigger. It's been months now and they were still arguing and it was always about Leah and he wondered where Rachel got all of her ideas from.

Jared could empathize with Paul. It was the same way with Kim and it was getting ridiculous. Kim was starting to get on his nerves and he almost phased one night. If he did not run outside, Kim would've ended up like another Emily. Then it hit him. "Paul…Sam warned us about this remember?"

Paul stopped pacing. "What?"

"Remember…The day when we were walking Sam home and he told us to be aware of our imprints and there was no telling what Emily was saying to them." Jared said in thought.

"You're right! Emily's been poisoning their minds against Leah and making them paranoid. This is pure bullshit! I can't believe they listened to her. Sam has been complaining about her for a while now and it's not getting any better! What the hell is wrong with them? They're acting like a bunch of sixteen-year old girls!" Paul was so pissed. What made the situation worse was that Leah had no idea the hell he, Jared, and Sam were going through. They did not want to tell her because of her condition and they would be damned if something happened to their Alpha female because of those stupid imprints.

"Ugh…I bet they're all together right now bitching about us and Leah. I mean…What the hell? Leah is Jake's, she's pregnant, and I don't see _why_ they are worrying about her. I get the feeling that it's them that are spreading the rumors about her too. If I was a female, I would slap the taste out of Kim's mouth." Jared said with a closed fist.

"Sometimes I wonder why the hell I imprinted on her. I mean she's Jake's sister and she and Leah were close. I don't see why she's acting like this now." Paul wondered.

"Well when you plant a seed in someone's head and continue to water it, it _will_ grow. Damn…this bond is killing me too. Part of me wants to go to her, but the other part is fighting it…_Hard_." Jared admitted. "I've never done anything wrong and I feel like if I go to her, then she has me right where she wants me."

"Forget them! I'm going over to Seth and Leah's…You coming? I'm sure Seth has his video games out and we'll be laughing in no time." Paul smiled weakly.

Jared stood up. "Yeah let's go. If it's anyone who can put a smile on our faces, it's Seth."

The two of them headed out the door to Seth and Leah's.

_Malibou's Fun Spot in Port Angeles_

Embry and Quil found themselves hanging out in a place that reminded them of Chuck E. Cheese. It was so much fun and had a lot of junk food and rides and a skating rink. They've been enjoying the little outings they were taking recently and it felt good to get out once in a while. Not only that, they were tired of all the drama with the others and their imprints. Quil was so happy to remember his was only three years old and Embry was rejoicing and boasting that he had none. Life was good for them and they could not complain.

Quil enjoyed his role as Beta and decided to remain with it after his trial run. The others were so happy, especially Jake and they supported him. He could not have done it without his Third though and the encouragement and wisdom from Sam. Sam was always there to give support and would offer some advice when needed and Quil was grateful. This was good preparation for him to be an awesome leader.

Embry was doing great too and he loved where he was position-wise in the pack. Not only that, he loved playing the supportive, go to best friend to Jake and Quil and he played that role very well. He could not ask for anything else. He made up his mind a month ago to start dating. He figured since he haven't imprinted by now, he probably never would. However he has not seen anyone he was even the tiniest bit interested in. He was in no rush and decided to take it one day at a time.

"Hey Quil…Let's go shoot some hoops."

"Cool! I'm stuffed anyway and need to work this stomach down." Quil chuckled and rubbed his belly.

"Let's go." Embry said with a wave and started on his way to the basketball playroom. On their way to the playroom, a familiar face caught his eye. He paused and using his wolf senses, he zeroed in on the figure and his eyes widened. 'Wow!'

Quil stopped behind him. "What?"

Embry paid him no mind and continued to gaze at the figure up ahead by the snack booth.

Quil followed his gaze and when he saw the girl Embry was staring at, he smirked. "Well…look who the wind blew here. Embry."

Embry ignored him.

"Embry." Quil tried again.

Embry still ignored him.

"Embry!" Quil said and this time, shook his shoulder.

"What?" Embry jumped and turned to him.

"Yeesh! Quit staring a hole through the girl and let's just go over and say hello." 'I wonder if he imprinted? But he couldn't have. This was a girl he saw before so no…he did not imprint.'

Embry and Quil walked over to girl and Quil cleared his throat.

The girl jumped slightly, turned to face the two, then her eyes widened. "Quil…Embry." She smiled sweetly at them.

Embry almost melted on the spot. He knew she was always attractive ever since that night at the bonfire with her and Leah and the rest of her friends. He remembered their flirtation perfectly. He felt Quil elbow him and he jumped slightly. "Caitlyn…Hi."

Caitlyn smiled when she saw that he remembered her name. She was internally happy like a schoolgirl to bump into him after so long. She remembered asking Leah for him all the time. "How's it been? It's been a while."

Quil elbowed Embry again. "It's been good…Good. It's nice to see you."

"Likewise." Caitlyn replied.

"We were just about to go play some hoops. You want to join us?" Quil asked.

"I would love to, but I'm getting something to eat. I'm so hungry. How about I just meet you guys over there after I'm done?" Caitlyn asked.

Embry was too speechless to speak anymore so Quil took over.

"Sounds cool. We'll be looking out for you then. See you in a bit." Quil said as he turned to walk away, but he paused and stomped on Embry's foot to snap him out of it.

"Ouch!" Embry glared at Quil then turned to Caitlyn. "I'll be looking at the door for you every minute that goes by." His voice was…Different.

Quil's eyes nearly bulged out of his head at Embry's bold statement.

Caitlyn blushed. "That's good to know. I'll see you soon."

Embry and Quil turned to the direction of the basketball playroom, with Quil looking at Embry weird.

"What?"

"Nothing bro." Quil replied then grinned. "Embry's got a crush."

"I'm going to crush you in our game." Embry grinned and the two went straight to playing when they got there.

_Three days Later_

Leah and Jake came home at five forty-five to an empty house with a message on the answering machine from Seth, letting them know he would be working late. Leah raised an eyebrow. "Again? This is the third time in a row he's working late."

"Hey Seth's now a man and he's making his money. Relax baby…He'll be alright." Jake soothed.

"I don't know Jake…Something is up. I know my brother and he's been acting a little bit weird lately. For the past three days, I've caught him daydreaming or sometimes growling lightly. He would have this dazed look on his face and then when I snap him out of it, he bolts. Now he's working late all of a sudden? He's never worked late. You know how he is with me, especially now that I'm pregnant." Leah reminded.

Jake paused in thought. Seth was always clingy to Leah before, but got a lot worse after he found out about her pregnancy. He was at his sister's beck and call and always made sure she was alright. Even Jake thought he was in his way at times. Maybe he hasn't been paying attention because he hasn't notice anything out of the ordinary other than him working overtime lately. "Maybe it's nothing. He loves his job remember? He loves using his strength to lift heavy objects. That's why he got that warehouse job in 'Wal-Mart.' Plus today's Thursday and he did say that Tuesdays and Thursdays are the most busiest days since new shipments always come on those days." He finished his explanation. Sometimes he thought Leah worried too much. But then again, he figured it was the hormones talking.

Leah sighed. "Maybe you're right. It's probably nothing."

Little did they know, Seth was out having dinner at IHOP with the new lady in his life. For an unknown reason, he felt the need to see and be around her all the time. He wondered if he imprinted, but he shrugged it off because he did not feel a bond like the others described. Instead, he felt an urge, a craving to see this girl all the time. Ever since their first date, they've been meeting up for the past three days after work at IHOP for dinner.

Leah sighed again. "I miss the others as well. It's been a couple days since we've seen them. They've been acting strange too; I just can't put my finger on it."

Now when it came to the others, Jake knew exactly what was wrong. He knew about Sam, Paul, and Jared's troubles with their imprints. He was particularly shocked to hear about his sister. It was so unlike her and he did not know what in the world was going on. He was on high alert though in case any one of them ever approach Leah. They all agreed to not tell Leah what was going on because they did not want to cause her any stress. Not to mention, Leah would go after them if she knew that the girls' problems were all about her. "I'm sure they're fine. Besides, they've been going out a lot too and from what I've heard, they're having a lot of fun." He thought of Embry and Quil, his two best friends for life. He was so proud of them and always made it his duty to let them know. Leah had no idea of Embry and Caitlyn talking and dating, but she did know about Sam and Felicia being friends. She already made it her point and warned Sam not to break her friend's heart and to wait until he could deal with Emily first. That was _if_ he wanted something to develop with Felicia.

Leah smiled weakly. "I wish I was there to see them have fun."

"You will after the baby is born…If you can separate yourself from him." Jake grinned.

"You're right about that." Leah wrapped an arm around her stomach. "It'll take a lot for me to be separated from this bundle of joy. Let's just watch a movie until Seth gets here." Leah went over to the television and DVD player. "What would you like to see?"

"It doesn't matter; you can put on anything." Jake answered as he sat on the couch.

"Okay." Leah popped in a movie and then moved over to the couch and snuggled into Jake's side.

_The Next Day, Saturday at Seth and Leah's_

The pack gathered by Seth and Leah's for lunch after they ran the morning patrol. As soon as they walked in the door, they saw Leah sweeping the floor.

"What are you doing?" Jake asked with his arms crossed over his chest. The others did the same and just stood there giving her a mock glare.

"Good afternoon to you too. What?" Leah asked. "Do I have something on my face?" She put a hand on her cheek.

"Lee…You're not supposed to be on your feet." Seth was the first to respond and went over to her and grabbed the broom from her hand.

Leah rolled her eyes. "I'm not a fragile Barbie doll! I'm not a baby; I'm carrying one."

"Yeah, but you know you will be complaining about your feet later tonight when we're laying in bed." Jake replied. His arms were still crossed.

"Leelee…You know you're supposed to be relaxing." Sam reprimanded, but there was a teasing glint in his eyes.

Leah put her arms up in the air exasperatedly. "All I do is fucking _relax_! I have to sit here and wait until you guys get home from either work or patrol and I used to do both!"

"You know what Carlisle said Lee." Embry reminded.

"I _know_ what Carlisle said so no need to remind me! Ugh…I hate this. I want to phase and run and feel the wind in my fur. I want to go back to work and use my wolf's strength to part brawls. Dammit! I want my life back!" Leah shouted, her eyes nearly in tears.

Jake ran over to her. "Come on baby…it's alright. You only have two weeks and a day left and soon you'll be giving birth. No need to get upset."

Seth and the others exchanged a look. 'Hormones.' They all thought simultaneously.

Seth went over to his sister. "Just give it time and soon you'll be back to your normal rough, tough, outgoing, and bitchy self." He teased.

"Jake note to self…Don't knock her up again for a long time." Only Paul would say something like that.

Jake flipped him off with a grin and led Leah over to the couch.

Seth followed her. "Why don't you sit and chill for a little bit. I'll make lunch. What would you like?"

Leah stood up. "Nah I got it. I want to make this new cake and dessert recipe I've been dying to try out." This was a good thing about Leah's pregnancy. As much as the pack did not want to make her cook food, they could not seem to keep her away from baking and making desserts. It was not cheesy little muffins either; it was exciting, delectable looking pastries.

"Okay…But you can do that after I make lunch. Dessert is after the main course remember? I would let us use the kitchen together, but I need my space when I'm cooking so just sit down and chill. As soon as I'm done, the kitchen is all yours." Seth said as he pushed her back on the couch gently.

The others decided to stay out of this, even Jake.

"Seth, I can make something real quick; it's no trouble."

"Grrrr…" Seth growled lowly. His sister could be very stubborn. "Fine…How about you stay on one side and just mix the stuff and _let_ me cook on the other side. As soon as I'm done, you can have the stove. What do you say?"

The others tried to hold back their laughter. Seeing how the siblings have each other wrapped around their fingers was amusing. They loved seeing how that played out.

"Okay okay, calm down." Leah stood back up and wandered to her side of the kitchen and began to mix up some jelly, cut some fruit, and took out a 26er of sangria.

Seth went about the kitchen and started to cook. He was cooking chicken parmesan which consists of pasta and chicken breasts covered with parmesan cheese and marinara sauce. He also made Caesar salad, corn, and garlic bread. At the last minute, he made a creamy sauce to dip the bread in. The aroma of the food filled the whole half an hour later and the guys' mouth started to water.

"Seth, I never knew you could cook so well. I mean I know you've prepared other things before, but this smells heavenly. You're just like your sister for real now. In attitude and now in cooking too." Embry said in awe.

Seth beamed in pride. "My sister taught me well. What can I say?" He elbowed Leah.

Leah chuckled and kissed the top of his head and Seth cringed lightly.

"Man…" Seth blushed lightly.

The guys could only laugh.

"It's about time you guys noticed before me." Jared said.

"Well I've got the best of both worlds so I'm at the advantage." Jake boasted.

Quil rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"Seth I hope you utilize your skills for your girl." Sam encouraged.

Seth smirked and thought of Raynia. 'Oh yeah…Raynia will be well taken care of.' "Whoever she is, she'll be well taken care of."

"So what are we having?" Paul asked as he peered over Seth's shoulder. "Whatcha making bud?"

"See for yourself." Seth moved aside to let Paul look.

Paul peeked in the pots, frying pans, and oven and saw all the items. "Damn…the pasta and chicken looks delicious and the bread smells wonderful. My mouth is watering like a vampire leaks venom when it's ready to feed."

They all looked at Paul like he grew two heads and then they all burst out laughing.

"Only you Paul." Jake shook his head.

"My brother is quite the chef." Leah said as she was slicing some strawberries.

"Like I said Seth, your girl will be lucky, whoever she will be. She won't have to be the one to cook all the time." Sam smiled. He has been a such a good mood lately. He was not letting his issues with Emily get him down. He was enjoying his new friendship with Felicia and the thought of her just puts a smile on his face.

Seth grinned widely this time. 'I have no doubt about it.'

Leah looked at her brother closely. She has been observing him for a while now, but not making it too obvious. Whoever her brother chose to be with would be one lucky girl. She would have the most handsome man on the rez.

"I'm also doing this for my sister too you know." Seth bumped Leah lightly. "She needs her rest from cooking for all of you hooligans." They all laughed.

Leah rolled her eyes with a warm smile and shook up the liquor, then poured it into the jelly mix. "I'm fine, but he is heavy though."

The guys were excited when they found out Leah was having a boy. "See what I mean? Lee…Please go sit down and relax. I'll take over from here. Do not argue with me so go!" Jake said seriously, but with a smile.

"Lee get your pretty belly over here so I can rub it." Embry beckoned.

"Yeah Leelee…Come and sit." Sam added.

"Hurry up and come here before I drag you." Paul smirked.

Leah blushed at their sweet words. "In a minute." She poured the fruit, jelly, and liquor into a donut pan and stuck it into the refrigerator. She then sighed and washed her hands of the fruit juice and alcohol and then went over into the living room. She lowered herself onto the couch with a groan, her hand rubbing her belly as her little guy kicked. "He's getting stronger every single day."

Embry rubbed her shoulders while Sam rubbed her feet. Normally the alpha in Jake would've lost it because they were touching her sort of intimately, but he knew his mate needed the comfort.

"Really?" Embry put a hand on her stomach and held it there. "Hey buddy…It's your Uncle Embry." Two swift kicks hit his hand. "Whoa…He's kicking hard. He responded to me!" His eyes lit up in excitement.

Sam stood up. "Leah may I?"

Leah nodded at him, smiling weakly. She had a soft pained look in her eyes. He seemed to kick more when the pack was around. He was so much like his dad already…An alpha all the way.

Sam put a hand on her stomach the same place Embry's own was and he felt a kick as well. "Damn…Be careful you don't kick your way out of there buddy." He could not wait until he got here too.

Practically the whole pack got a chance to feel her stomach and ten minutes later, Seth announced that lunch was ready. They did not feel like going into the dining room since they were all comfortable where they were. Seth started serving everyone their plates and he put a huge bowl of the creamy sauce in the middle of the floor for them to dip their bread in. The only person who got a tray was Leah. She was the only one who got special treatment. On her tray was her food on one plate, along with her Caesar salad in a bowl, garlic bread on another plate, and her own small bowl of dip.

Leah grinned at it. "Thanks Seth…It looks so good."

Leah's fork and spoon were rolled in a napkin and she also had two glasses of liquid, one with cran-berry juice and one with water.

"I think you should maybe look into this professionally." Leah suggested.

"Nah I just like to cook. Plus I like cooking for you guys, especially you Lee. You have always cooked for me and taught me well. I just want to return the favor. One of the reasons I'm glad you're pregnant is so you can give me the chance and you can finally take a break." Seth kissed her cheek and went back to serving the last two plates and himself.

Leah watched her brother in awe. He really knew how to take great care of her in the ways she'd taken care of him. He really was the best brother in the world.

Everyone dug in and they were all moaning in delight at the taste of the food. The compliments were coming from every corner in the living room.

"This is delicious!"

"This is so good!"

"Damn I should hire you to cook for me full-time."

Seth blushed and the happy family finished off their lunch. An hour later, everyone was happily talking when they all heard the front door open and a voice they have not heard in a very long time.

"Leah! Seth! I'm home!" Sue said as she came strolling through the door like it was an everyday occurrence.

Everyone got silent and was in shock.

"Seth! Leah! I'm home!" Sue said as she shucked off her jacket and stepped into the living room. "Oh…Hello boys!" Then her eyes finally landed on her daughter…Her…Very…_pregnant_ daughter. "What the hell is that?"

Seth immediately went on the defensive and stood in front of his sister. This was so not the time to deal with this. Sue just messed up his whole day. "What do you think it is? What are you doing here Sue? Why are you here?"

"To see my kids! Don't you speak to me like that young man." Sue then turned to Leah. "The rumors are true? How could you?"

"It was none of you business!" Leah replied.

"You don't have any kids Sue! I can talk to you however I want." Seth answered.

"You're my daughter! You _are_ my business! Seth, stop talking to me like that!" Sue said to her children.

The others tensed and could only look on in silence. They were ready to jump in if the time called for it. Jake, especially was growling lightly; his eyes were flickering back and forth between their brown and black colors. He was trying to stay calm and decided to let Seth and Leah handle her…For now.

Seth's voice was low, deep, and serious. "I can and I will. You have not been my mother for fifteen years so please don't come in here acting like you were and everything is fine. Don't talk to Leah like that either…I mean it!"

Sue turned to her only baby boy. "Why are you acting like this? What has she been telling you?" She grabbed Leah's wrist. "Why are you lying to your brother?"

Seth yanked her away from Leah. "There is no way in hell I would allow you to put your hands on my pregnant sister so _back off_. It's not anything she told me; it's what I saw and learned for myself!"

It was Sue's turn to yank her arm away from Seth. "I was the one who raised you and this is how you repay me? You tarnish my reputation, eat me out of a house and home and try and interfere with my engagement?"

"Oh so now you're engaged? Nice." Leah said and rolled her eyes.

Sue faced Leah again. "I can see that you're _not_ and you're _pregnant_! Who's the father Leah?"

Seth's voice boomed. "You did _not_ raise us! Stop shouting at her." Seth placed himself in front of his sister. He knew this day would come, but he never thought it would be now. He wished they were more prepared for this. He hated how Sue treated Leah and his mind flashed back to their childhood briefly and he growled. "Embry…Call Charlie and Billy because someone will go to jail in a moment."

Embry immediately pulled out his cell phone and dialed Billy's number.

"Yes I did! Don't defend her Seth! Your sister's got to learn to take responsibility for her actions! Like sleeping with an _engaged_ man!" Sue announced.

Leah's eyes bulged. "What?"

Sam knew who she was referring to and he jumped right into the convo. "Emily's lying!"

Jake was so close to losing it.

"You don't have to stand up for her Sam! Emily told me everything…How you and her are having problems and it was because of Leah!" Sue said.

"I didn't!" Leah protested. If she wasn't so tired and weak from her pregnant state, she would've been up in Sue's face.

"How dare you believe that tramp over your own daughter? You are just like her…A tramp. Don't come over here causing trouble!" Seth warned.

"Emily lied; I never slept with Leah!" Sam said in truth.

"Really? Then who's the father?" Sue inquired.

"None of your business!" Seth answered.

However the guys all answered.

"I am." Paul said.

"I thought _I_ was." Jared added.

"No it's me." Quil said.

Jake would have laughed if the situation wasn't so serious.

Sue looked on horrified. "Are you happy with yourself Leah? First you become a drug addict and now you're the laughing stock of the reservation!"

"You need to leave." Seth said with voice low and deep. The pack has never heard him so angry before. Seth never thought he would feel this sort of anger and hatred towards his mother, but God help him he did. "You don't belong here so go back to jumping on Charlie's dick! You have not been our mother since I was three. Dad was who raised us and when he died, it was Leah. You have _no_ say in what happens in our lives."

Sue looked at her son with a rage so poignant, her eyes seemed like they were on fire.

Seth continued to speak. "Leah is pregnant and due soon so she does _not_ need you coming over here and causing her stress that she does not need or deserve. Go back to your daughter, _Emily, _the tramp and backstabbing _bitch_! No wonder you two are so close. You're just like each other."

Damn…they have never heard Seth speak like this and when they looked at him, they saw a totally different guy from they one they were accustomed to. Leah was right in telling Jake that it seemed like he had a lot of things bottled up inside him. Seth was so angry and his body started to shake, however, the girl he was seeing, Raynia, her face flashed through his mind and he started to calm down.

"You disrespectful little shit!" With that, Sue raised a hand to strike him.

"Don't you dare hit my brother!" Leah stood up quickly and grabbed Sue and in an instant, all that could be heard was a smack. Leah held her cheek, looking at her mother stunned.

Seth grabbed Sue tightly. "Get out!" That was when Jake lost it and the alpha came out ready to kill.

"_How dare you come here and disrupt my mate's and my brother's lives? How dare you put your hand on my mate? If you value your arm, let alone your life, get out right now." Jake stalked toward her like a predator getting ready to pounce on his prey. "Leah is my mate and the pup she is carrying belongs to me. I am the father. Do you have a problem with that?_?

Sue was in shock, shaking with fright as she stared up at Jacob and his black eyes. "I…I…Jacob, you need to calm down."

"_Seth warned you, Sam tried speaking to you and so did Leah, but you refused to listen. You also had the audacity to put your hand on my mate. Now give me a reason why I should not put my hand on you?_"

Sue's back was against the wall. "You can't!"

Leah gulped. She knew where this was going and Jake was so much more animalistic when the alpha was out. She walked forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him tightly.

Jacob froze momentarily at the feeling of his mate's arms around him. He reveled in it and then gave Sue his undivided attention again. "_I will tell you one…More…Time. Get out! Do not come back…Ever! This is not your home…Leah and Seth…Are not your children. If you ever lay a hand on my mate again, you will lose your arm or maybe your life._" Jacob growled and his eyes flickered.

Sue cast her eyes, looking like she might literally piss herself, around at the pack before she turned her tail and headed for the door. "This is _not_ over!" With that said, she disappeared out the door.

Jake's eyes went back to normal and he turned around in Leah's embrace. "Baby are you okay?" He cupped the cheek that was red and swollen.

Leah smiled weakly and nodded. "Thank you." She hugged into his chest the best she could without her stomach getting in the way. She cuddled into him, loving the feel of his arms locked around her, once again feeling safe. She looked at Seth. "You okay bro?"

"Fine." Seth's voice was still deep and he was glued to his spot and could only stare at the door. A part of him could not believe what just happened. His day started out so good and it all went straight to hell because of one miserable old lady whose jealous of her own daughter.

Leah looked at her brother worriedly. "You look tired…You should get some sleep." She clung to Jake, wanting to stay close.

"No…The last thing I want to do is sleep. _You_ should get some rest; I'm heading out." Seth walked over to Leah, kissed her cheek, then left, slamming the door behind him.

Leah nodded and rested her head against her man's hot chest. She looked at the door worriedly and said a silent prayer for him to be okay and come back home safe. The guys were stunned; they really did not know what to say.

Sam in particular was pissed. 'How dare Emily tell Sue those lies! He could not believe she would stoop so low. The imprint bond with her hurt and he tried his best to keep everything in. He needed to get out of there too. "I'm heading out now." His voice came out close to a whisper.

Leah and the guys looked at him sadly. They did not know how to help him. Emily was getting worse and the imprint bond was trying to pull him to her, but he kept fighting it.

"I'll be fine; don't worry about me." Sam reassured and he left without another word. The other followed and left Leah and Jake with nice words.

"You know what? Let's not even talk about this. Seth will be alright and he has us on speed dial. We'll listen for when he comes home. Let's just go upstairs and get some rest okay baby?" Jake said.

Leah nodded and held onto him even more tightly. They then proceeded to go up to their room to try to forget about the day's events.

_The Next Day_

Leah woke up early and let Jake sleep in since he was scheduled to do a long group patrol that day. As she was walking to go downstairs, she paused and listened through Seth's door. She was not sure if he was in or not being that she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow last night. She lifted her head in the air and caught his scent so let out a deep breath in relief. She then headed to the kitchen and set herself to making a delicious breakfast for her boys who were going to be running all day.

Jake awoke to the mouthwatering smell of fine, crispy bacon, fried hash browns, eggs over-easy so he could dip his toast in the yolks and a pitcher of ice cold lemonade. He could hear the ice cubes clinking against the jug. He went to the bathroom, relieved himself, freshened up, then went straight downstairs to his girl and hugged her from behind, nuzzling her neck. "I thought you were supposed to be taking it easy baby?"

Leah giggled and turned to face him, kissing him lovingly. She was wearing one of his shirts, big enough to fit over her pregnant belly and still look big and adorable. Leah actually taken to wearing all of the guys' clothes since they sometimes slept over and leave them there. No one could replace the look on Embry's face when he realized what Leah was sleeping in and where his favorite pair of boxers went.

The guys came barreling into the house chatting happily. It was not that simple to put the events of the day before behind them, but they liked to pretend it never happened. Although Sam, Paul, and Jared were still getting horrors from their imprints, they never let it show. Besides, Leah had enough to worry about. Jake left Leah, went over to greet his brothers and then went into the dining room to set the table. He wanted them to have a nice, formal breakfast and leave all the negative energy behind them for a little while.

Embry's gaze focused on Leah and his eyes nearly bulged. He raised an eyebrow playfully. "Where did you get those?"

Leah looked down at her shorts then back at Embry and grinned. "They're cute aren't they? Like them?"

Embry walked over to her. "Yes they are cute." He crossed his arms over his chest, his eyebrow still raised.

Leah giggled. "They used to belong to a friend of mine."

"Which one? I recall a certain friend having a pair of these and suddenly, they disappeared." Embry replied.

The guys were scattered abroad, some in the living room playing video games and such. Seth came downstairs; he was not in a cheerful mood, but felt better. He went over to Jake in the dining room to help him.

Leah had a playful smile on her face. "Really…Well does he want them back?"

"Nope…It's been worn by a girl so it's not manly enough for me anymore." Embry smirked.

"Really. Then I'm going to steal every single pair of your boxers now and wear them just for that." Leah replied in mock annoyance.

"You wouldn't? Wait a minute…Steal? Hey…Did you take them while you were helping me fold my clothes they day we slept over?"

"Guilty." Leah laughed.

Embry rubbed her stomach. "How's the little guy?"

Leah smiled. "I think he missed his Uncle Embry."

"Aww…I missed him too." Embry stooped down with his head to her belly and kissed it. He then rubbed it some more and felt a strong kick. "Wow!"

"Uh…Embry? I have something I would like to tell you." Leah announced.

Embry stood up straight. "This sounds serious. What's up?"

Leah smiled coyly. "Well…Jake and I decided after careful consideration that we would like to have you as Godfather."

Embry froze. "What?"

"Would you like to be the Godfather?" Leah asked.

"Really?" Embry smiled widely and his heart was beaming inside. He was always an only child and it was so nice of them to choose him.

Leah nodded and smiled warmly at him. "Our son would be very lucky."

"I would be honored." Embry gave her a big hug and lifted her up gently. "Thanks Lee. You are the best girl friend a guy could ever have." He kissed her cheek and he surprised her with what he said next. "I love you." He was coy and a bit shy.

Leah smiled widely and hugged him back tightly. "I love you too." She kissed his cheek. "Now carry these dishes out and go eat. I can hear your stomach."

Embry tapped her cheek and rubbed her stomach one last time, then went to the dining room.

As soon as he left, Quil came in the kitchen asking Leah if she needed anything.

"Nah…There's something I need you to look at though." Leah said.

Quil tilted his head. "What's that?"

"I made a birthday cake for Claire."

Quil's eyes brightened a little. "Really?"

"Yeah, it's in the deep freeze. It's ice cream cake with regular cake in between." Leah went over to the deep freeze and lifted to the lid.

The cake was four layers and the colors were of a rainbow. The cake was decorated with all sorts of beads and princesses and the whole works. Quil's eyes widened in amazement and he helped Leah take it out.

"Do you think she'll like it?"

"Will she like it? Leah…Claire might give up on me and choose you as her imprint instead because of this cake." Quil teased.

Leah smiled. "Claire's a good kid. I worried maybe with all the attention you give her, that she'd get spoiled, but she's just generally a good kid you know? I love her."

Quil was happy and speechless at the same time. "Gosh Leah! I…Let me pay you for this or something!"

Leah laughed. "Fuck off Quil. I like decorating cakes."

"I thought you hated baking…You know…Because of Emily?" Quil inquired.

"I can't look at muffins to save my own life, but there's nothing wrong with cake. I don't like plain banana nut stuff and boring shit like bread. Cakes and cupcakes are more fun and pretty." Leah said as she looked at the cake.

"You're fun and pretty." Quil said sheepishly.

Leah smirked. "You're adorable. I want you to be our main babysitter when the baby is born. If you don't mind that is."

"No…I definitely won't mind. He's my cousin anyway and Claire is so excited about him. She thinks you're her aunt." Quil admitted.

Leah chuckled and closed the lid on top of the deep freeze again. "I am I guess. But I won't be able to take Emily's place in her eyes."

Quil smiled sadly. "Yeah, but you have a place all your own."

Leah smiled weakly at him and touched a hand to Quil's cheek. "She is very, very lucky."

Quil beamed. "Yeah? Why?"

"Because she has you. You're the sweetest person I've ever known, although you're also the prankster too. I've seen how you are with her and I know you'll take good care of her when the time comes." Leah kissed his cheek.

Quil grinned his little implish smile at her and gave her a playful hug. "I know you can get a little sore at us sometimes, but I think you're sweet too."

Leah laughed and playfully punched his shoulder. "Go eat your breakfast."

Quil smirked at her and nodded, patting her shoulder before leaving to take his seat at the table.

As soon as Quil Left, Jared came into the kitchen. He was lurking around the pots and pans and everything, being nosy. He felt bad inside because all the shit going on at home was blamed on Leah by Kim and he wondered how the hell he could fix it without Leah finding out. He wanted to say something to Leah, but did not know what. He knew Leah the least out of all the guys, but the time spent with her recently was nice and he looked forward to getting to know her some more.

Leah walked over to the sink, soaking a dishcloth so she could clean the countertop. "Jared you alright?"

Jared looked up at her. "Hm? Oh uh…Yeah I guess. Are you okay? Do you need help with anything?"

"No, I'm fine. What's wrong with you? You seem like you're about to tell me you have AIDS or something."

Jared smirked. "Well it's nothing that serious, but I do have something to ask you."

Leah started to clean the countertop. "Shoot."

"Did Jake ever tell you what exactly happened that he was able to break the imprint he had with Renesmee?"

Leah paused, the wheels in her head turning. "This _is_ serious. What's going on?"

Jared blinked. "Nothing…I'm just curious. He told us, but he never really went into detail."

Leah raised an eyebrow. "Well…as you know Jake has always had a crush on me, but it took him almost losing me for him to realize how deep his feelings were. To my understanding, it was the passion and the intensity of the moment that triggered everything. What? Are you thinking about breaking yours?"

Jared's silence was what gave her the answer.

Leah sighed. "I don't know what's going on at home with Kim and even though I don't like her, as far as I know, she loves you. She has loved you for a very long time."

'I don't know if you call ordering me around and starting fights for no reason love.' Jared thought as he listened.

"You know how I feel about imprinting so I might be biased, however, make sure breaking it is what you want first. I know you were happy with her, at least I thought you were." Leah crossed her arms over her chest.

"I don't know anymore. I've been doing some thinking lately and I need to experience other things…Other girls. I don't know." Jared confessed. He also has been thinking about Leah's friend, Mallory for a little bit. Sam told him that Felicia said Mallory liked him and would like to be friends. Because of the imprint, he hesitated in agreeing to talk to her and be her friend.

"Really? And you've just thought about this?"

Jared smirked. "What if I said I was thinking about this for a very long time?"

"I won't believe you."

"Suit yourself."

"Seriously Jared…Just follow your heart and do what you think is right. If you want to stay with Kim, stay with her. If you don't, then I'm sure you'll find a way to break the bond. If Jake can do it, I'm sure the rest of you can. It's only a matter of time." Leah went back to cleaning.

"Hm…Maybe you're right. Thanks Leah…Even though you don't like her much, you never said anything bad and it shows just how good of a person you are. I'm glad I'm getting the chance to see that." Jared walked a few steps back towards the dining room. But then he paused and turned to her again. "Maybe I'll get Sam to get Mallory's number from Felicia for me." Jared said as he grinned and went to eat.

Leah's eyes widened and nearly bulged out of her head. "Remember the warning I gave to Sam!" She shouted at his retreating back.

"Sure, sure." Jared replied, using Jake's words.

No sooner than Jared left, Paul came. He was in the mood for carrots and he hoped that slicing up a few carrots was something he wouldn't screw up. He pulled three or four carrots out of the fridge and began to skillfully chop them up. Visualizing Leah and Seth, he tried to utilize the same skill himself. But of course, that simple task went awry for Paul and soon he was cursing as he accidentally made a nice, deep slice across two of his fingers.

Leah looked over at him and smirked, rolling her eyes. "You are such a dumbass." She reached into the medicine cupboard beside the fridge and pulled out a bottle of peroxide along with some gauze.

Paul was holding his hand. "Don't touch it woman; it'll heal fine!"

"No, it won't. Not if you don't get all the pieces of carrot and the juice out of it."

Paul growled softly as Leah pulled his hand away from his chest and out, so she could study it.

"Hm…It's not too bad." Leah opened the bottle of peroxide, held Paul's hand over the sink and then poured.

"Ow! Fuck Leah!" Paul yelled.

"Stop being such a big pussy; it's clean now." Leah reprimanded.

"Son of a bitch!" He held his hand to himself and blew on it, trying to calm down the stinging.

Leah smirked to herself as she rinsed away the remainder of the blood and peroxide with cold water, letting her fingers skim skillfully over the cut. It began to heal at the edges immediately as if her touch inspired it to begin.

"That's going to scar like a bitch."

"No, it won't. I pressed the edges together; it's sealed. It won't leave a mark."

"Really?" Paul asked in disbelief.

"Really." With that, she lifted his hand and gave his fingertips just the cutest little kiss before dropping it again. "Now get out of my kitchen you hazard." Leah whisked all the bloody carrots into the trashcan and cut up a few new ones for him in her own skillful way before scraping them into a bowl for him.

Paul was kind of staring at her, for the kiss, and wondering why his hand actually felt better now. "Uh…Thanks Leah…Lee…Whatever." He grumbled, then he patted her belly. "Your mom is annoying, but useful." Then he gave her his usual Paul smirk and wandered off into the dining room with his carrot sticks to join the others for breakfast.

Sam was the first to finish his breakfast and was tidying up the living room when he saw Leah was alone in the kitchen. He stopped what he was doing and went over to her. Before he approached her, he leaned against the wall by doorway and watched her. He watched her every move, not missing a beat. His eyes skimmed over her from the top of her head to her feet. She was as beautiful as he could remember, even more so now that she was pregnant. Everything he was thinking and feeling was in his eyes. His mind flashed back to their time together and he thought that if it wasn't for him imprinting, Leah would've been pregnant with his child. He thought that it would've been him she was spending the rest of her life with. He thought, he thought, and he thought.

Leah continued cleaning until she felt a pair of eyes on her. "Sam, you alright?"

At the sound of her voice, Sam jumped. "Huh? I'm fine why?"

"You were sorta staring."

"Yeah I was." Sam admitted. "I was just thinking."

"About what?" Leah inquired.

"About you."

Leah nodded a little. "What about me?"

Sam told her all that he was thinking about. Like how it would've been his child she would've been carrying and all those stuff.

"Well that was the way I'd imagined it too. Then suddenly, you're giving my cousin the ring you'd used to propose to me." There was no attitude, malice, sadness or even sarcasm in her voice and neither in his. They both spoke normal and it needed to be said anyway.

"Yeah I know. It haunts me in the back of my mind every time I look at or see you. So you do not have to remind me. Besides, I get reminded all the time, especially when Jacob is phased." Sam confessed.

Leah looked at him sadly. "It hurts doesn't it? Drives you crazy."

"Well at first it did, but I came to realize that what's done is done. I know it's not intentional on Jacob's part. It's Karma." Sam looked down. "I remembered how I did it to you." He looked back up. "Believe me when I say this: I always thought about you too, but I just couldn't let you or the other guys know."

"No…Instead, I spent everyday and every night watching you kiss Emily as she baked or Paul and Rachel making out, or Jared and Kim jogging together, or Jake and Bella and Nessie laughing. I spent day in and out knowing I would never have that, and being reminded of what I'd lost. I did fight for you. Maybe you guys didn't notice, but I did. I just hope that sooner or later it would pay off." Leah said seriously.

"I hope so too and I am thankful that you're not giving up on me. I wanted to fight for you too. You may not believe me, but it's just that when you have your hands tied and the powers that be are always on your case and gives you orders, you must follow it. Especially if one of those powers that be was your dad. But I am not going to put the blame on them; I take full responsibility for everything. Doing what I did to you is something I will regret for a long time, but I am happy you are happy now. You deserve it and it was a long time coming." Sam grinned. He truly was happy for her and besides, it was time for him to move on as well. It was time to stop dwelling on the past. Maybe this was the closure him and Leah needed after all.

Leah smiled weakly. "It means a lot to hear you say that. I won't ever forgive my dad for what he did…Like I won't ever forgive my mom. However, I want you to be happy too. I think you can be…With a certain somebody. But like I told you before, you've got to straighten this whole thing out with Emily first."

Sam smiled in thought of Felicia. "I know. She is an amazing girl and I must admit that there's something there, but I won't make the same mistake twice. I am being very careful about this one."

"You better be or else I will kill you this time." Leah warned. Felicia was a very close friend of hers and she would never want her to go through what she did. "The best relationship starts out as friends anyway, so who knows? Maybe you might fall in love with her in the process. Just take it one day at a time. I will advise you to assure yourself that you and Emily are over first."

"Got it. Thanks Leelee. You always know what to say." He went over to her and hugged her nicely, then kissed her cheek.

"You're welcome and since you're the only who finished eating, go back and continue to clean the mess in the living room." Leah said sternly and with a chuckle.

Sam chuckled and let her go, but before he walked off he turned around to her again. "One more thing."

"Yeah?"

"I love you." Sam whispered and he meant that in good way. He would always love Leah; she was his first in everything. She would always have a place in his heart. Now he had someone in his life who had the potential to be the love of his life and he prayed to God he wouldn't screw it up. There was only one big, red bump in the way…Emily.

Leah smiled softy. "I love you too. Now hurry up before the guys come out and make an even bigger mess." She flicked his nose playfully.

Unbeknownst to Leah, Seth was done with breakfast a long time ago. He was upstairs gathering the gifts he bought for Leah and when he was done, he came bounding down the stairs happily and went straight over to her with something behind his back.

"Hey bro…what's that?"

Seth could only grin. It was a good thing his body was broad and muscled or else she would've been able to see what it was already. "What's what?" He asked playfully.

"That." Leah tried to grab it from behind his back.

Seth dodged her with ease. "Whoa there sis. You know you won't be able to grab it that fast." He laughed at her. "Would you like to know what this is?" It was still behind his back and Leah was trying to see it, but his bulky frame was blocking her.

Leah crossed her arms. "Yes please."

"Okay get ready for…" Seth made a drumming noise. "Tada!" From behind his back, he pulled out a baby bouncer already put together. Inside the bouncer were six outfits. Some had cartoon characters on them like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. Others had sesame street characters such as Elmo. There were also two four-pack bottles, three boxes of wipes, three packs of pampers, two three-pack baby blankets, three five-pack baby bibs, and last but not least, two three-pack baby pacifiers.

Leah gasped out in surprise. "Seth…Thank you so much!" She grinned at him. "Where did you get the money to afford all of this?" Leah knew baby items were not cheap, even if one was working.

"Uh…I work, in case you forgot. I did work overtime you know and overtime pay is a bonus." Seth winked. Do you like them? I wanted to surprise you. I know you had your baby shower already and you have everything you need, but I wanted to give you something from me personally. I hope you don't mind."

"Seth, it's all _amazing_." Leah hugged her brother almost tight enough to strangle him. "The baby will love it!"

Seth laughed at her excitement and then lead her over to the couch to sit. He gathered all of the gifts and they both went through them one by one. "I love that you love it Sis. I wanted to do something nice for you and the baby." He rubbed her stomach while he spoke. "I took my time getting these and guess what? They were all on sale. They cost next to nothing so don't worry about me spending so much money." He then handed her an ATH card. "Also, Rose and I opened an account for you and the baby. I did not ask her; she asked me and with a promise from her, she said she would not over do it and would give me the chance to actually donate some money in there as well. You know we work hard for our stuff and Rose was stubborn, but she said she would let me handle it. She would only donate when it's the baby's birthday and Christmas."

Leah smiled proudly and gratefully at him, pulling Seth in for another hug. "God brother…I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I know I would not have been here without you. You're my one and only sister and I love you. You deserve to get spoiled by your only brother. Do one thing for me though." Seth requested.

"What's that?"

"I want the baby to wear the clothes I bought him first. Heck…I want him to use everything I bought him first. That's my only favor." Seth finished.

Leah laughed. "One I can easily grant." She kissed his cheek.

"Great! I'll be looking forward to it. I can't wait until my nephew gets here." Seth rubbed her stomach some more and the baby kicked in response. "Are you ready Lee? Your due date is right around the corner."

Leah smiled weakly. "Yeah…As ready as I'll ever be I guess."

"Great…Jake and I will be right there beside you, Lee. You can count on that." Seth assured.

"Oh…I have a surprise for you guys for dinner." Leah announced.

"You're not going to overexert yourself are you?" Seth raised an eyebrow.

"No, I ordered something." Leah informed.

"Really? What? May I get a clue?" Seth's eyes gleamed in excitement. It was amazing how he could act so mature one moment and then revert back to his cute childish self the next.

Leah shook her head. "Nope…It'll be here at seven."

"Cool." Seth said as he got up from the couch and started to gather the gifts to bring upstairs.

Seth and Leah then went into the dining room.

"Finally! Baby…Where've you been? I was coming to look for you." Jake beamed at the sight of his girl. He loved seeing her ripe with his child.

"Well I've been in the kitchen cleaning up and for an unknown reason each of your brothers came in one after the other to talk to me." Leah teased.

"They're lucky I even allowed it. They kept you from me." Jake growled playfully.

"You know you have to share her Jake. You have no choice anymore." Embry replied.

She already ate and since the guys were done, she started to clear up the table. Seth snatched a plate from her hands. "Oh no you don't. You've already made breakfast so you will not be cleaning up too."

"Seth…" Leah whined.

"He's right. Paul and Quil…You clean up and do the dishes." Jake ordered, but not in his alpha tone. "It's only fair because you guys ate the most."

Paul and Quil groaned, while the others laughed.

"Baby I want you off your feet. Paul and Quil will clean up okay? No refusals." Jake said sweetly.

"I agree." Seth joined. "Off your feet now." Jake could always count on Seth; he truly was a Godsend.

Leah sighed, not wanting to argue with the two loves of her life. "Fine."

Jake and Seth beamed and the others looked at them aghast. Jake and Seth were partners in crime…The little buggers.

"You two are such manipulators!" Embry chastised.

"What?" Jake feigned innocence.

Seth was just smirking.

"Leah's _their_ bitch…Plain and simple." Paul stated.

Everyone laughed.

"All of you get out of my house; you have work to do." Leah reminded with a smile.

The guys started clearing up the table and Paula and Quil did the dishes.

_Half an hour later_

Jake and Leah found themselves on the couch getting cozy before Jake had to leave for patrol. Leah hugged him tightly, kissing his jaw. "I love you handsome. Run hard, beat the rest of them." She smirked playfully.

"I love you too." Jake rubbed her belly for a while. "I love you too little man." He got a nice kick in response. "You two are my everything." He kissed her tenderly and the kiss was long.

Leah ran her hand through his hair, calming him, flooding him with love like his simple kiss did for her.

Jake pulled Leah closer, as close as her stomach would allow. He grazed her neck with his lips and went to his mark and nipped at it. He also moved her hair to the side and exposed the tattoo of his name on the back of her neck. She got the tattoo a while back and he loved it. He placed several kisses on it, lingering after each one.

Leah nipped his bottom lip. "Are you mine?"

Jake moaned in her mouth. "Yes…Always…Forever. _You_ are mine and I don't even have to ask. My marks…" He gestured to the scar and the tattoo on her neck. "Prove it."

Leah smirked against his lips. "Simple slip of my hand when I'm styling my hair and I could burn those away."

Jake smirked right back. "But you won't even make that mistake. You'll try your hardest to style your hair without getting too close to either mark." He licked Leah's scar, then latched onto it lightly.

Leah moaned and shivered enticingly in his arms. "Go…Go on patrol before I can't let you leave."

"What if I don't want to leave?" Jake asked as his hands ran over her breasts. They were full and big, not to mention extra soft. The milk for his child was developing nicely and gave her breasts the perfect shape and feel. He squeeze them lightly. "I'm going to impregnate you every year during mating season." His voice was husky.

Leah moaned at his words…His touch. "You want more kids?"

"Why wouldn't I? I want us to try for a girl next year. If not next year, then the year after. Plus, I get the added benefit of seeing you like this." He continued to squeeze her breasts lightly, while sucking on his mark on her neck.

Leah's heart inflamed with love and affection for him at his words. She'd always wanted a big family. She was thrilled, the wolf inside her as well, that he wanted the same thing. As the sensations he gave her intensified, she knew she better make him leave before he missed patrol. She whispered hotly into his ears. "I'm yours…My body…Is yours. I want to have all the children you please. Now go my love." She kissed below his ear right where he liked it.

Jake moaned and his wolf growled. "Yes…You are mine and I am yours…Always. How can I leave when you just kissed my spot?" He sucked on her neck harder. That was her spot.

Leah let out a soft whimper as his lips sucked that special spot, body arching into him further and the heartbeat of their child between them was a steady thrum of what they could create, their everlasting love.

"Nayeli. "Jake whispered in Quileute. "Forever. I have a surprise for you later when I come home. We'll go for a drive."

Leah smiled at him and nodded. "Now go…Really."

"I really don't want to go." Jake kissed her one last time and stood up. The guys were shouting for him outside.

Seth came bounding down the stairs and ran right over to his sister, bypassing Jake. "We'll be right back; we'll only be a couple of hours. You have all of our numbers and call us if you need anything. Okay?"

Leah smiled softly at him. "Yes bro. I'll be fine…Don't worry. I need this anyway. It feels good to have a little space. You two…" She gestured between Seth and Jake. "Take care of each other okay?"

They both shook their heads. Seth kissed her cheek, murmured his 'I love you' then left, telling Jake to hurry up.

Jake laughed and walked up to the door. He paused and turned around. "Baby…Are you sure you're going to be okay?" All of a sudden, he got this weird feeling.

"I'll be fine. Go have fun and destroy any leech you find." She blew him a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too." Jake said and went through the door, but not without another glance back at her. He really did not want to leave her, but duty called and he did.

_Six Hours Later_

The pack was laughing as they phased out in their meadow and walked back towards their second or first home since that was what it felt like. They were looking forward to Leah's surprise ever since Seth told them after patrol. Six hours of running flat-out was enough to make anyone hungry.

Jake was anxious to get home to Leah the most though. He missed her like crazy and the wolf in him was calling out to it's mate. This was the longest they've ever been apart from each other since Leah got pregnant. His walk almost broke out in a run.

Paul smirked. "Calm down Jake. We're all hungry. Being the first one in doesn't guarantee you the biggest plate!"

Seth was anxious too since he loved surprises and Leah has never disappointed him with them. He was giving Jake a run for his money when he picked up his pace.

"It's not even about being hungry. I just miss my girl and want to see her. I really did not want to leave her alone. Plus, I have our surprise to show her later remember? It's from all of us." Jake said as he continued walking and increased his pace again.

They all grinned and nodded.

"She'll love the house Jacob." Sam comforted.

"Yeah I can't wait to see her face when we show it to her." Embry added in excitement. "She'll love the nursery; everything is unpacked and in order."

"We might make her cry guys." Seth said.

"They'll be tears of joy." Quil stated.

"Leelee will be so happy." Sam agreed.

"I can't wait to see the look on her face." Paul said.

Everyone laughed and agreed as they reached the last step on the Clearwater walkway and Jake pulled open the door. He was hit the with scent of blood and the house was completely silent. The loveseat was turned over and torn. Books and DVDs littered the floor from the overturned TV center. Pots and pans have been knocked astray on the floor and plates and glasses were broken everywhere. Jake was appalled. "Oh My God!"

Seth walked up behind him. "Jake, what's the…" He froze. "What the hell?"

The place was awful and it looked like struggle went on in there. The others came up behind them and gasped in shock.

"Leah!" Jake ran inside and looked for her calling out her name. The scent of the blood had him on edge and the alpha in him was already fighting to come out.

Seth ran inside as well, looking for his sister.

Jake's insides were quivering and his heart was beating so hard and fast. He could feel his blood pounding all over his body. 'No, No, No! Leah has got be here somewhere.' "Leah! Answer me baby! Please!" He checked all over the house again and then crumbled to his feet when the obvious was registered in his head. Leah was _gone_.

**AN: WOW! I never thought the Epilogue would be this long. I hope you guys paid special attention to all that happened. Don't focus on the obvious too much. Sometimes it's the little things that matter. So as you can see from the events in this and also the ending, there will be a sequel. I will warn you and say that it won't be out for a little while. I'm going to be focusing on "Torn" now. After that, I'll be taking a short break. So sometime next month or the month after, the sequel should be out. Let's keep our fingers crossed. So…what did you guys think? I know there was a lot to take in and I hope you're not too confused. All of our guys have issues or have some kind thinking to do. Who do you think kidnapped Leah? What do you think of Raynia and the other girls? Let's not forget the imprint bond still exists for Sam, Paul, and Jared. What's a handsome man to do? Lol! Some of you have been asking for Sue and got your wish as a surprise. What did you think of what transpired when she showed up? Please Review and let me know what you think. **


	28. Chapter 28

Hey guys! Not an update but just announcing that the sequel to "I Want and Need You, but Are You Worth The Risk" is now posted. The sequel's title is called "Worth It and Then Some." I know…kind of a weird title huh? Lol! Enjoy!


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